


Frozen Onward

by hogwarts_is_frozen



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Family Feels, Hurt/Comfort, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-08
Updated: 2014-12-08
Packaged: 2018-02-28 15:23:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 52,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2737616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hogwarts_is_frozen/pseuds/hogwarts_is_frozen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Great Thaw Elsa is desperate to prove herself as queen and repair the bond with her sister. However, Elsa is plagued with night terrors, will the sleepless nights take their toll? My version of what happens between the punching of Hans and the epilogue. Sisterly fluff and some light Kristanna. **Caution** Swearing and there is a tiny mention of thoughts of self harm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_*Day of Great Thaw*_

"Hands down, this is the best day of my life. And quite possibly the last," announced an ever joyful snowman as he slowly melted before the eyes of the two women, man, and reindeer in front of him.

They all looked on in surprise as water slowly spread across the deck of the massive ship on which they all stood after the fjord was thawed mere seconds ago.

"Oh Olaf!" giggled the older of the two women, snapping out of her trance. "Hang on little guy."

With a small wave of her pale hand the sentient snowman gently rose back to his original frozen state, a small cloud forming over his head. With an excited gasp Olaf began jumping for joy, clapping his little twig hands furiously.

"My own personal flurry! Thanks Elsa," Olaf laughed, looking up at his creator fondly, a look which she returned before turning back to the younger woman standing beside her.

The girl grasped Elsa's arm tightly, for fear that if she loosened her grip even for a second, the older woman would somehow slip away again. Elsa however, had no intention of leaving. Instead she gazed lovingly at the girl, trying to memorize every freckle on her face, every eyelash, and every strawberry-blonde hair on her head.

_Anna._

Her beloved little sister. The one person Elsa had loved so much she was willing to all but lock herself in a room for thirteen years in order to keep her safe. The sister she never had a chance to watch grow from the little girl of her childhood to the beautiful young woman standing before her. There was so much Elsa wanted to say, and the thought that she had almost lost that chance forever brought bile to her throat and tears to her eyes.

"It's good thing that Hans guy wouldn't kiss you Anna. Otherwise you would have never found your act of true love," Olaf said, looking up innocently at the girls.

Elsa's brow furrowed in confusion. "What is he talking about Anna?"

"I... uh... well you see... the thing about that is..." the princess stuttered, fidgeting under her sister's gaze.

"We brought Anna back to the castle to get her true loves kiss so she would get better." His little face suddenly scrunched up. "But then I found her locked in a room all by herself and she said it wasn't true love... I don't really know what that means," he said with a shrug before trying to catch the little snowflakes falling from his flurry.

"Hold on, do you mean to tell me that little prick left you all alone when you were dying!?" roared the rather large blond man who Elsa recognized from the ice palace.

Elsa's eyes flew wide at his question and rounded on the embarrassed looking redhead who was absentmindedly plucking at one of Elsa's sleeves. "Anna, is this true?" Blue sparks danced across her fingertips as her temper flared.

"Elsa, I -" she began but was cut off when a groan caught her attention.

At the other end of the ship a red haired man shakily rose to his feet, nursing a sore jaw.

The rest of the world fell away for the queen. Burning cerulean eyes locked the figure before her as blood pounded in her ears. Elsa knew this man had tried to kill her - for reasons she could only guess - but that was the last thing on her mind at the moment. The only thing she cared about was the image of her baby sister locked in a room, alone and freezing to death.

The blond man moved towards the prince, clearly intending to cause a great deal of harm, but Elsa was faster.

Without thinking, the queen gently pushed Anna behind her and stalked toward Hans a predator-like gleam in her eye. The temperature dropped rapidly and a strong wind began to swirl around the woman, ripping her platinum blonde hair in all directions. Face contorted in rage, she quickly closed to the gap between Hans and herself, fingers itching with frost.

At the sound of her approach Hans looked up abruptly. Upon seeing Elsa and the small dagger of ice that slid smoothly into her palm he was suddenly consumed with white-hot fear.

With surprising speed, the queen brought the tip of the weapon to his throat and backed him up against the ship's railing. "If you even think of coming near my family again," she snarled. "I will teach you the  _true_  meaning of cold. Do I make myself clear?" To emphasize her point Elsa pushed the dagger deep enough into his skin to draw a small trickle of blood.

Hans simply stared at her; even though he had seen her fight off the Weselton men back at her palace, the prince did not think the timid queen he met at the coronation ball was capable of such threats.

"Do I make myself clear!" she roared, her voice rising to a dangerous level as frost began to creep up Hans' neck where the blade bit into his flesh.

Green eyes locked on blue, and the fear Hans had once felt melted into hatred. He had been so close to achieving his goals and yet here he was, at the mercy of this witch. She had gained power over him and it made him sick with fury.

"Crystal clear, your Majesty," he spat at her, teeth bared. Elsa however, did not lower the razor sharp ice in her hand. Her body shook with barely contained rage as wind continued to howl around them.

"Elsa! Stop! Please!"

When Anna's voice reached the young queen's ears all at once the winds fell away and the warmth returned. The dagger however, remained firmly in the queen's hand, but she lowered it enough for Hans to rub the small wound she had made. "Elsa please, he's not worth it," the princess cried as she ran to her elder sister's side, clutching the queen's free arm and causing Elsa to tear her icy gaze from the vile man. Her expression softened when she looked down at her sister's worried one.

"I'm sorry Anna. You're right. I lost my temper," she said allowing the ice forged weapon to evaporate. Raising herself to her full height and sliding her mask of cold indifference into place, Elsa turned her attention back to a still furious Hans. "Prince Hans of the Southern Isles. I, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, do hereby charge you with attempted regicide and treason. As a consequence of your actions, I strip you of your princely title and banish you from Arendelle. When we reach the shore you will be immediately jailed until such a time that I can arrange for your removal from my kingdom. I shall be writing to your family, informing them of your crimes and providing them with adequate time to decide a fitting punishment," the young queen finished in a tone that reflected the finality of her words.

As she began to turn away from the man his wrath came to a head, "You bitch!" he bellowed. "You can't force me-!" But before he could utter another word Anna whirled around so fast that he had no time to react. With all force that she could muster, the princess slammed her fist into his face causing Hans to fall head-over-heels into the freezing water below.

"Anna!" Elsa cried looking at her younger sister in shock and, if she was being completely honest with herself, pride.

Anna turned toward Elsa trying her best to look contrite but failing miserably as a wide grin spread across her freckled face, blue eyes sparkling.

"Sorry Elsa. I guess we both lose our temper when our sister is involved," she said cheerfully, holding her hands up in surrender.

Unable to hold back any longer, Elsa pulled her sister into a bone crushing hug. Clinging to her like a lifeline and burying her face into the strawberry-blonde hair. Anna returned the hug with equal enthusiasm as she nuzzled into the space where the queen's neck met her shoulders, savouring the scent of winter air that lingered there.

Anna opened her eyes to see Kristoff, who she had forgotten about until now, standing off to the side one arm draped across the shoulders of his best friend. He smiled brightly back at her as he watched the two sisters embrace, a beaming Olaf tearing up beside him. The princess could not remember a time when she had been happier; she had her older sister back and had found someone who truly loved her, but her reverie was broken was she noticed that Elsa was shaking.

The sound of quiet sobs met her ears and the young princess' smile was quickly replaced with a frown. Pulling away from her elder sibling but still gripping her shoulders Anna looked at Elsa with eyes full of concern.

"Elsa? Elsa, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" Her voice shook, fearing the worst. Did Hans harm the queen after all?

Her head bowed, Elsa slowly shook her head, unable to look up at Anna.

"Then what is it? Why are you crying?" Anna pressed softly.

"I- I'm so sorry Anna," she sobbed still unable to raise her eyes from the deck of the ship.

"Sorry for what?" Anna was becoming increasingly confused, why was Elsa acting this way? The girl could not remember a time when her sister had been this upset, not even at the coronation.

"For everything!" she blurted out finally looking up, tears streaming down her face and falling to the wood beneath their feet. "Please, Anna you have to understand that I never wanted to hurt you. I pushed you away because I- I couldn't control it," she said between sobs. "It was only supposed to be t- temporary, but I wasn't s- strong enough. I didn't want to harm you, not again," she whispered sinking to her knees and staring at her trembling hands while frost slowly spread around her.

Anna dropped down along with her, ignoring the cold and feeling hot tears of her own stinging her eyes. It was then that Anna caught a glimpse of what Elsa had gone through during all those years of isolation and it made her heart shatter. She could not stand to see the person she had idolized her entire life in such pain.

"I missed you every day, every minute. But I loved you too m-much to put you at risk," Elsa hiccuped clutching her hands to her chest. "And then, my worst fear became reality when I saw you frozen on the fjord. I  _failed_. I couldn't keep you safe from me, I- I killed you!" Her entire body convulsed with the sobs that ripped from her throat as she repeated, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," over and over.

"Oh Elsa, shhh. Hey," she soothed wrapping her arms around the broken women pulling her close.

The queen, who a short time ago had been the perfect picture of poise and grace, now sat crumpled in the arms of her sister, all composure lost. Façade finally broken, Elsa was revealed for what she truly was, a young girl with the weight of ruling a kingdom, protecting her sister, and keeping a powerful secret hidden, on her shoulders. It had simply become too much to bare.

"Elsa, it's okay, I'm here. I'm fine," she said softly stroking her sister's blonde hair, her own tears falling freely now. In response the snow queen simply shifted her body so that she could press her ear to Anna's chest. "Yes, it's still beating. I'm not going anywhere. I promise." Smiling, she rubbed her sister's back slowly until she calmed down.

After a short while Elsa sat up and finally lifted her cerulean blue eyes to the sky blue ones of her sister.

"Thank you," she said, delicately taking Anna's face in her hands wiping any stray tears away with her thumbs and placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

Both women got to their feet arm-in-arm, smoothing out dresses, wiping away tears and putting hair back into place. The sound of someone clearing their throat and sniffling reminded the sisters that they were not alone. Kristoff appeared extremely uncomfortable and was trying to keep his eyes focused on anything but the royals as he fidgeted next to Sven. Olaf on the other hand was crying rather loudly and ran forward to hug the legs of the smiling girls.

After somewhat successfully consoling a tearful Olaf, Elsa once again became the refined queen. Straightening her back and neatly folding her hands together, she faced Kristoff with a reserved smile, "I don't believe we have properly been introduced."

Kristoff snapped to attention when he realized that she was speaking to him.

Despite being almost a full head taller than her, the mountain man felt miniscule while under the queen's calculating gaze. He had never been more intimidated in his entire life and it wasn't just because of her powers. She was strikingly beautiful and her mere presence demanded a respect that Kristoff fumbled to give. Unsure of how to address her, all he could do was stare before he lowered his gaze and did his best to bow, stiff and awkward as it was.

"Kristoff Bjorgman, your Majesty. And this is Sven," he said indicating the shaggy reindeer on his right.

"They helped me find you and brought me home when… when I was hurt…" Anna said wincing slightly hoping she didn't make Elsa feel too guilty.

She saw a flicker of pain in the young queen's eyes before Elsa nodded and turned back to the blond haired man who was now running a gloved hand on the back of his neck, cheeks turning a bright shade of red.

"Thank you Kristoff, thank you Sven," she said looking to each of them respectively. "I owe you a great deal for assisting Anna. You will both be rewarded accordingly, and as a token of my sincerest gratitude I would like to invite you to stay with us as my personal guests for as long as you wish. The gates of Arendelle will always be open to each of you," Elsa declared with a warm smile.

Kristoff looked as if he were about to protest when she shot him a look, effectively silencing him. "I  _insist_."

Not wishing to argue with the queen Kristoff simply nodded in submission.

"Good. Now I think it is about time we went back home," Elsa said, glancing at her kingdom. "I believe I owe my subjects an apology."

 


	2. Chapter 2

_*Day of Great Thaw*_ **  
**

The snow queen lifted a single arm, the one that was not currently linked with Anna's, and flicked her wrist. A gust of cool air filled the great vessel's white sails and slowly brought the ship groaning back to life. As they glided closer and closer to the docks Elsa realized just how nervous she was. The smile that once lit up her face slowly disappeared.

_What if they are still afraid of me, think I am a monster? What if they no longer want me as their queen?_

All these thoughts and more raced through the young queen's mind as she stared at her kingdom. Her unease continued to increase the more she contemplated what awaited her and she unconsciously hugged her arms around her torso.

Sensing the older woman's anxiety Anna took her sister's cool hand in her warm one; lacing their fingers together and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"They'll love you," she said softly, a reassuring smile tugging at her lips.

A warmth spread through Elsa's chest as returned the smile gratefully. "I hope you're right," she sighed.

Resolving to not let her fears get the best of her, the queen stood a little straighter as Arendelle rose to greet them.

The moment the queen's ice blue slipper stepped from the ship's gangplank to the dock below she was swarmed by a combination of her royal guard, foreign dignitaries, and some of the palace servants.

"Your Majesty, Princess Anna! Thank goodness you are both okay!"

"Queen Elsa, I demand an explanation!"

"Where is Prince Hans?"

Despite the emotional storm that raged within her, Elsa did not bat an eyelash. Years of keeping her feelings hidden from those around her finally being put to use as she slowly raised a pale, white hand. She was relieved when it elicited the response she desired as everyone stopped talking and a strained silence fell upon the crowd.

Looking around, Elsa took a few moments to decide how best to continue. The men of her royal guard looked torn between their duty to protect the royals of Arendelle and following their orders from Prince Hans. The dignitaries wore expressions of equal parts curiosity and unease while the servants, who had been faithful to the royal family since before Elsa was born, looked on with genuine concern.

Taking a deep breath and drawing strength from the red headed girl standing at her side, Elsa began to address the tense assembly, "Please. I understand you are all looking for an explanation, and you deserve one. However, this is neither the time nor the place."

Turning to one of the men, who if Elsa remembered correctly was her guard captain she continued, "Please gather everyone in the palace courtyard so that I may address my citizens properly. In regards to Prince Hans- "

As if the mere mention of his name summoned the prince, Hans stumbled toward the group, coughing and sputtering water from lungs.

"Guards seize her, that sorceress is dangerous! She killed her sister and threatened my life!" he screamed jabbing a finger in Elsa's direction.

"No she didn't you liar!" Anna shot back at him. "You tricked me and left me to freeze to death, so that you could kill Elsa and be king!"

The sweet young girl then disappeared and was quickly replaced with a confidant authority figure. "Arrest  _him!_  He will remain in the dungeons until we can send him back to where he came from!" she ordered, cheeks red and eyes blazing.

The guards hesitated only for a second. More from shock at the sudden change in their princess than anything else before rushing to carry out Anna's command.

"NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS! SHE IS DANGEROUS!" he howled, kicking and struggling as they dragged him towards the castle.

"I had no idea you had that in you," Elsa said, looking at her sister with such pride Anna began to blush under her gaze and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Me neither," she admitted with a small shrug.

"Come, we mustn't keep our subjects waiting," Elsa said as she began to walk in the direction of the palace. The rest slowly followed behind the royals, mindful not to tread on the snow queen's long, glittering train.

Kristoff and Olaf brought up the rear mounted on Sven's back as they made their own way to the courtyard, knowing it was time to leave the sisters alone for a while.

Arm still entwined with that of her younger sibling, Elsa swallowed her fear and held her head up high, preparing herself for what lay ahead.

* * *

Upon reaching the castle the queen began ushering orders to anyone within a 10 foot radius; luckily all the lessons her late father had given her on how to be a ruler came flooding back. Elsa refused all private audiences with the foreign visitors, but assured them that she would hold a formal meeting after she made her public appearance.

To the servants she instructed that baths be drawn for Anna as well as herself and to prepare a room for Kristoff. Lastly, she asked her guards to keep an eye on the Duke of Weselton; she was still wary of him even though she'd been assured the men who had attacked her were safely locked away.

Once everyone else was taken care of the young queen finally had a chance to relax some of the tense muscles in her shoulders as she and Anna walked through the residency wing. Running a kingdom was stressful work and there had been more than a few times she'd felt the frost creeping to her fingers as one person after another hounded her for answers. If it weren't for an excitable Anna clinging to her body, it would have been very difficult to keep her frigid powers in check.

"Come along your Majesty, princess. We must get you bathed and dressed before you make your speech," said a handmaid as she tried to separate Anna from her sister's arm.

"No! No!" Anna cried, gripping Elsa so tightly it became painful and burying her face into the blonde girl's shoulder.

Elsa's eyes widened in surprise and and looked up apologetically at the maid. "Leave us Mary, thank you," she said gently.

"Of course your Majesty," she nodded knowingly and made her way back downstairs.

"Anna, sweetheart it's alright," she said taking the young girl's chin between her thumb and forefinger so that she was looking directly at Elsa. "I promise to never, ever leave you again," she said, her tone becoming serious as her piercing gaze bore into Anna's. Slowly, the princess nodded her head before hugging her elder sister, pressing her face into the crook of Elsa's neck.

"Well, now that is settled," the blonde said as she pulled away and held her sibling at arm's length, "I think it is time we made ourselves presentable, don't you agree?"

Before Anna could respond the young queen had taken her hand and pulled her into Anna's bedroom.

* * *

"Sorry about the mess, I wasn't planning on having visitors," said an obviously embarrassed Anna as she hurriedly started to tidy up her bedroom, which appeared as though a closet had exploded in it. "I don't let Gerda clean up in here anymore; she always puts my stuff where I can't find it."

Elsa raised a hand to her mouth as she tried and failed to suppress the laughter that escaped her lips. "It's fine Anna, really. You go bathe first while I pick out something for you to wear." Elsa replied looking around and wondering how on earth she would ever find something in this chaos.

"Elsa…?" the princess' shy voice caused the queen to look up from the cluttered floor to her sister, who was playing nervously with one of her braids. "I know it's stupid, but… I'mworriedthatifIcan'tseeyouyoumightdisappearandIknowyoucan'tcomeintothebathroomwithmesocouldyousing?" she said all at once without taking a single breath.

"Pardon?" Elsa asked, one delicate eyebrow raised giving Anna a bemused look.

Sighing, the young girl began again, much slower this time, "I'm – I'm worried that if I can't see you, you might disappear, you know, like it was all a dream or something. So I was wondering… " she paused pushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear, "Since I know you can't come into the bathroom with me… if I left the door open… would you maybe just talk or sing? That way I can at least  _hear_ you," Anna finished, staring at her feet, feeling for all the world like a child.

Elsa probably thought she was being stupid, of course she didn't want to sing to her. Elsa was a queen, and queens did not sing to their silly little sisters because they were feeling insecure.

"Of course Anna, I would love to," she said before gently guiding her into the bathroom. "Don't take too long, we don't want to keep everyone waiting." But Anna simply planted her feet and looked up at her.

"Sing first," she ordered, crossing her arms over her chest and refusing to budge until Elsa followed through with her request.

Elsa simply shook her head and laughed, she had forgotten how stubborn Anna could be. "Right, right sorry," she took a step back and became thoughtful for a moment before arriving at a decision. Closing her eyes, Elsa took a deep breath before she allowed the melody to flow from her lips.

" _The snow glows white on the mountain tonight._

_Not a footprint to be seen._

_A kingdom of isolation and it looks like I'm the queen…"_

As she continued to sing the young woman opened her eyes revealing a still unmoving Anna, with an expression of awe glued to her freckled face never having heard Elsa sing before. Elsa brought her younger sister back to reality as she snapped her fingers and pointed to a large porcelain tub already filled with hot bathwater.

Anna nodded vigorously before dashing into the bathroom, stripping off her dress and sinking into the steaming liquid. Sighing happily as the heat surrounded her aching body, the princess began washing away the dirt and grime from the last few days, all the while listening to Elsa voice drifting from the adjacent room.

" _Let it go, let it go. And I am one with the wind and sky…"_

Anna scrubbed as fast she could, desperate to get back to her sister. Everything had happened so fast, she was still having trouble believing it was real. They were together again, Elsa bossing her around and laughing at her antics, it was like they had never been apart.

"Okay, I'm done! All squeaky clean!" the red head proclaimed as she slid back into her bedroom, a towel wrapped around her thin frame and red hair soaking wet.

"-  _cold never bothered me anyway."_

Song complete, Elsa smiled and made her way over to her sister. "Anna, you are dripping all over the floor," she scolded. "I have laid out a dress for you, now put it on and fix your hair. Then you can help  _me_  find something suitable to wear. Should I continue singing?" she asked stepping toward the inviting steam pouring through the doorway.

"Yes please!" replied Anna cheerfully as she turned toward her vanity but stopping when she noticed something was different. "Elsa? Did you clean up in here?"

The clothing that had once littered the floor was now neatly put away in her wardrobe. All her books and knick-knacks arranged perfectly on the shelves. Even her bed was made, Anna couldn't remember a time when her bedroom had been this orderly.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself," Elsa said starting up a new tune and disappearing from sight.

"Hmm, not sure how I feel about this," Anna mumbled looking around at her eerily clean room once more before stepping behind her changing curtain.

The dress Elsa had chosen was one of Anna's favourites; the skirt was a lovely shade of lavender trimmed with interlacing golden flowers. The bodice, dyed a deeper shade of violet had the crocus of Arendelle stitched in the center using the same golden thread. Elsa had even laid out a low-cut, white underdress and matching lavender ribbons for her hair.

Anna had just finished putting the final touches on her hairstyle when Elsa emerged from her bath; hair piled on top of her head and a silk robe tied securely around her waist.

Anna had opted for a more formal up-do rather than her signature braids, the same one she had used on the day of her sister's coronation.

"Well, what do you think?" the princess asked holding her arms up at her sides and giving her sister a twirl.

"You look beautiful, Anna," the queen answered fondly. "You always do."

"You look beautifuller," she countered with wink, blush creeping up her neck. "Now, what are  _you_  going to wear?" Anna said thoughtfully, scrunching up her face and tapping a finger on her cheek. "Why don't you just wear that dress you made out of ice? That thing was awesome."

"Thank you, but I think it is a little too informal for the occasion. Besides we are trying to ease them into the whole magical ice powers thing," Elsa said.

"Alright fine, then we better go and check your regular, boring dresses," Anna asserted before grabbing her elder sibling by the wrist and marching towards the door. However, she did not get far before Elsa yelped and abruptly pulled her back.

"Anna, I can't go out there. I'm not decent!"

"Relax, Elsa no one is going to see you," Anna said rolling her eyes.

"It is not proper for a queen to walk through the halls in nothing but a bathing robe," the blonde said matter-of-factly, causing Anna to roll her eyes a second time. "I'll just wear one of yours."

"Oh come on, Elsa. It's just around the corner. I will be your look out." Before Elsa could argue further the young princess flung open the door, checked that the coast was clear and sprinted to Elsa's room, dragging the queen in her wake.

However, when she reached the tall white door Anna froze as memories of this very same door repeatedly shut in her face came flooding to her head, rendering her immobile.

"Hurry!" Elsa hissed, eyes darting up and down the hall as the temperature began to drop. "Anna, what are you waiting for?"

"I– I- ," she stuttered before an anxiety ridden queen grabbed the handle and shoved her inside.

"I never, ever want to do that again," Elsa shuddered, arms wrapped tight around her.

Anna wasn't listening.

She was too busy examining the foreign room in which she stood. The young princess had never been inside her sister's personal chambers before; Elsa had simply not allowed it. It was much larger than Anna's own room, a four poster bed occupied one corner and a wooden desk, covered in important looking papers, filled another. A large window and fireplace kept the area well lit and warm, while a small dining table flanked by two large, plush chairs sat in the centre of a soft blue and white rug. Overall, it was a rather ordinary space, cozy even. Anna was slightly disappointed, the girl had dreamed of finally gaining accesses to this very same room for so long that she expected… more.

"When you are done staring into space could you please go find something for me to wear," Elsa said sitting down at her vanity watching her younger sister's reflection in the mirror. Blue eyes full of amusement as she ran a comb through her ivory hair.

"Hmm? Oh right, yea." Waking from her daydream Anna skipped over to the large wardrobe that dominated the wall opposite her, next to an equally impressive bookcase. "Wow Elsa, there sure are a lot of books in here," she said running her hands over the large tombs that crammed the shelves, many of which looked extremely boring.

"Yes well, one does not learn to be a politician overnight," she shrugged. "Besides, I rather enjoy reading. It is nice to escape from one's responsibilities for a while," the queen stated as she began to work her unruly hair into a tight, braided bun.

"If you say so," Anna replied turning her attention back to the wardrobe and her job of locating a proper outfit. "What about this one?" she called after a few minutes.

Elsa turned to see her sister holding up an elaborate, black and crimson dress complete with a seven foot long train. "I don't think so, a little too over the top," she replied, returning to her previous task.

"Fiiiinnnne," she whined in a very un-princess like fashion, discarding the rejected article and diving back into the closet. "Ooo la la! What is this!?"

Hearing the smile in her younger sister's voice, the blonde woman looked up as Anna pulled a bright yellow gown that was clearly much too large for Elsa from the depths of her wardrobe.

"That? That was a gift."

"From whom?" Anna giggled.

"Some official from some country, I can't remember," she replied with a dismissive wave of her hand, having successfully wrestled her hair into submission.

"Did they think you were a whale? This thing is  _huge_ , you would barely fit through the doorway!" she said bursting into fits of laughter.

"Ha. Ha," Elsa responded flatly, bending over to pick up the dress Anna had tossed on the floor. "To be fair, he had never met me before. Now, stop goofing around and help me."

Still laughing, the redhead returned the ugly dress to its original place and resumed her search. After fumbling through, what appeared to be every single item of clothing Elsa owned, Anna ripped one of the dresses off the hanger squealing in childish delight, "Here we go, perfect!"

It bore a striking resemblance to the one Elsa had worn at her coronation ceremony, with a few minor differences. Both the bodice and skirt were a pale shade of blue trimmed with silver ribbon. Along with Anna's own dress, this one also bore the crest of Arendelle sewn into the fabric. However, mother-of-pearl beading replaced the golden thread used to make the design on the younger girl's gown.

Elsa nodded her approval and took the garment along with a navy blue underdress behind a changing curtain. She hummed to herself as she changed, still mindful of Anna's earlier admission.

Stepping out from behind the divider she turned to examine herself in the adjacent full-length mirror, "Hmm, it's missing something… yes, definitely missing something."

"What are you talking about?" said an incredulous Anna. "You look amazing, you're being s- Oh!" she gasped clapping her hands together as Elsa brought both hands down her front. Ice flowed from the woman's long fingers and spread along her skirt creating a beautiful pattern of swirling snowflakes. Next, she closed one of her hands and when she opened it again, a snowflake the size of a large coin rested in her palm. Carefully picking it up, she pinned the frozen broach at the base of her throat.

"There, much better," Elsa said admiring her handiwork. "Oh, I almost forgot," she said suddenly, pointing to her head. Wrinkling her nose in concentration, a small tiara materialized among her platinum locks.

Anna thought she had never seen something so wonderful. It looked as if someone had taken an ice sculpture of a snowflake and sawed it in half. Catching the summer sun that flooded through the window it glittered splendidly as every colour imaginable danced among the frozen fractals.

"Oh Elsa…" Anna breathed, a dreamy look on her face.

"Where would the Snow Queen be without her crown?" Elsa asked with a small giggle.

A small knock at the door caused both the sisters to look up, "Your Majesty? They are ready for you," said a man's voice from the hallway.

"Thank you Kai, we shall be out in a moment." Elsa responded, stomach full of butterflies and her heart pounding in her chest.

"Very good, your Majesty," he replied.

When his footsteps faded away the queen turned to her little sister, trying to not to let her face reflect the growing doubt that bubbled in her chest. She was betrayed by her magic however, when the room grew a little colder and frost began to form beneath her slippers.

"It's going to be fine." Anna said reassuringly linking their arms once more and placing a kiss on Elsa's cheek. The queen had to physically stop herself from flinching away from her sister's sudden touch; a small part of her was still terrified she would hurt Anna.

Instead, Anna's warmth helped Elsa relax enough that the frost and cold immediately disappeared. Even though she now understood  _how_  to control her powers, Elsa had come to realize that it would still take some time to put that knowledge into practice.

"Thank you," Elsa said giving her sister one last adoring look before raising her head high and pulling her shoulders back. "Here we go."

 


	3. Chapter 3

_*Evening of Great Thaw*_

"Queen Elsa and Princess Anna of Arendelle!"

Kai's voice rang loud and clear through the palace courtyard, directing everyone's attention to the two women standing on the balcony high above them. Elsa was barely recognizable in her 'Snow Queen' outfit; she had looked lovely at the coronation but today she was stunning. Sparkling in the dying summer sun, she was so poised and elegant it was hard not to fall under her spell.

The entire kingdom had gathered to hear Elsa's speech, the growing crowd became so densely packed that it was almost impossible to move more than a few feet in any direction. Children climbed onto their parent's shoulders in an effort to get a better view of the queen and princess. All were curious to see if the rumors were true regarding their elusive monarch; did she really have magical powers that had unintentionally caused the freezing of summer?

"Citizens of Arendelle," Elsa addressed the large crowd, heart hammering against her ribcage as she gazed out at the sea of faces below her. She had been required to hold formal meetings before but this was the first time she'd had to stand up in front of so many people. "I would like to begin by offering my sincerest apologies for any undue suffering I may have caused, as well as deserting you in your time of need. Please know that all I did, I did for one very important reason." Elsa suddenly grew very solemn. "I took an oath that day you crowned me as your queen, and it is an oath that I will remain faithful to until very the end of my days. I vowed to protect every man, woman, and child within my kingdom at any and all costs. And it was because of that vow I had to leave."

Her words left more than few of the villagers confused;  _what did running off into the mountains have to do with keeping Arendelle safe? Didn't the snow only begin to fall_ after _she had fled?_  Even Anna, who knew part of the reason behind her sister's disappearance, was hearing this side of Elsa's story for the first time.

"For reasons I do not understand, I was born with the power to create ice and snow," the moment the words passed her lips Elsa felt an immense weight lift from her body. Although people had already  _seen_  her powers this was the very first time she had actually willing  _told_  anyone about them and she felt… free.

But it was different from the freedom she had felt back at her ice palace and at first she couldn't figure out why. But, suddenly the realization struck her like a bolt of lightning. Elsa could be herself  _and_  be with those she loved, without the constant fear of hurting them looming over her.

"When I was young there was an accident involving my magic... it was from then on that my parents and I decided it would be best if I were to isolate myself. Keeping my powers hidden until the day I could control them. And for thirteen years I did just that. I believed that the only way to keep my 'abilities' under control was by suppressing them deep within me. As time went on and my magic grew so did my fear of the harm they were capable of. Although the battle to subdue my magic became increasingly difficult, I knew that it was my duty as your future queen to at least try. However, I realized my efforts had been in vain the moment the ice slipped from my grasp that night of my coronation. The very thing I had worked so long to prevent had become reality; I was a danger to Arendelle. So, I did what I believed was necessary to protect my people: I ran. It was not until later that I was made aware of the storm I had left behind."

When no one accused her of being a witch or a demon and no one ran from her in terror, Elsa decided it was safe to continue, "My whole life I have searched for the answer of how to control my magic and I am relieved to announce, that day has finally arrived. Over the years I had grown to resent my powers and subsequently myself; I had seen first-hand the danger they presented and it terrified me. I didn't realize that as long as I lived in fear of my magic I was destined to be ruled by them. But recently I was reminded that love, above all else, will conquer fear and through this lesson, I now know that in order to control my powers I must first learn to accept them."

Elsa paused and gave Anna a quick glance out of the corner of her eye. The girl had tears in her eyes and was staring at Elsa like she was seeing clearly for the first time.

Everything, her entire childhood now made perfect sense.

Tearing her gaze away, Elsa focused her attention back to her people. "I stand before you now not as your queen, but as nothing more than what any of us are; human. I feel pain, I have hopes and dreams, and I make mistakes the same as you. And it is because of those mistakes I have called you all here today. I put every one of you in a great deal of danger and there are no words to express how deeply and absolutely sorry I am for what happened, intentional or not," Elsa said. Her voice broke as guilty tears surfaced in her eyes, but she quickly pushed that away and looked deep inside herself to draw on the confidence she had found on the North Mountain.

"If you allow me to do so, I promise to spend the rest of my reign making it up to you. I will spend every day striving to be the queen that you need, the queen that you  _deserve._  The palace gates have been re-opened and will remain that way, so that anyone in need of assistance from the royal family will receive it. I know that I am young and untested, but I give you my word I will work tirelessly to grow Arendelle into the kingdom I know it can be. All I ask in return is that you accept me for who I am: Elsa, a woman forged from winter, wielder of magic and ruling monarch of Arendelle."

At first there was only silence. Time stood still for Elsa and she began to panic.

_They're too scared, they don't want me back. Oh God, what if they come after me, or worse, they could hurt Anna. I shouldn't have done this._

She could feel the magic swirling within her rising to the surface. However, she was able to keep it under her command by holding one thing centred in her mind;  _I can use my powers to keep Anna safe… if I have to._  She had begun searching for an escape when she heard it.

"All hail Queen Elsa!"

"Yes, long live the Queen!"

The shouts were soon picked up by the rest of the crowd until entire courtyard echoed with voices raised as one to praise their ruler; a woman who had acted with wisdom beyond her years and had been willing to sacrifice everything for the well-being of her subjects.

It did not escape her notice that not everyone cheered; some looked on with disapproving eyes and a few of the dignitaries looked very unhappy. Elsa decided to deal with that at a later time as warmth the likes of which she had never felt before spread through her entire body. It filled her from the tips of her toes to very top of her head. The smile that lit up her face stretched from one ear to the other and tears sprang to her eyes once more. Overwhelmed, Elsa swept her gaze across her subjects and she remembered something her late father had once told her during one of their lessons.

" _Elsa, when we wear the crown we become the caretaker of our people. You must earn their respect, their trust. And above all you must love them so that they may love you in return."_

Elsa had been young then and did not fully grasp what he had meant at the time, but as a mother-like affection bloomed in her chest she finally understood.

_My people._

Raising both of her hands Elsa called for quiet once more. "There is one more thing that I would like to address before you return to your homes. And that is the matter of our princess." Elsa said as she turned and stretched a long pale arm in the direction of a still teary eyed Anna.

"Wait what? Me?" asked the incredulous redhead looking from her sister to the people below and back again.

"My sister has displayed determination, compassion, and incredible courage. Risking life and limb to bring me home and believing in me when I did not believe in myself. If not for Anna, I would have remained on that mountain; too afraid to return and ignorant of the damage I had caused," Elsa announced glowing with pride.

Anna on the other hand, was shifting uncomfortably beside the queen, face and neck turning a deep red as she brushed some hair behind her ears. Feeling the crushing weight of hundreds of eyes resting on her, Anna suddenly felt very grateful she was just a princess who was not expected to do this kind of thing on a regular basis.

"It is thanks to her unfailing love that I was able to learn the secret of mastering my powers and end the eternal winter. I think I speak for everyone when I say we will forever be in your debt, Anna. You have saved Arendelle… and me," she added softly so that only Anna could hear giving her a small smile. "In a months time, Arendelle will be holding a grand celebration in honor of our heroic princess, to which you are all be invited. Food and drink will be provided for everyone and the palace will play host to a  _proper_  ball. It shall be an all-day affair so that we may celebrate someone whose loyalty knows no bounds, whose love is endless, and without whom we would all be lost. Princess Anna of Arendelle!"

The roar that erupted from the townspeople was deafening. Cries of, "Hooray for Princess Anna!" and "Bless you, Princess!" could be heard amid the applause. Half laughing, half crying Anna waved shyly at the cheering crowd. She had started looking for Kristoff when she felt Elsa's cool hand take her own.

"Thank you, Anna," Elsa said ice blue eyes full of warmth and affection. "I couldn't have done it without you."

Happy tears streamed down her face as Anna wrapped her arms around her sister's waist. Feeling the woman return the embrace she whispered, "I missed you so much Elsa."

The two of them remained that way for a time, reveling in the nearness of one another after having been apart for so long. When they finally separated the queen hooked one arm through Anna's and turned to wave at the still cheering crowd. Quickly wiping her eyes Anna followed her sister's example.

* * *

"Your Majesty, I implore you to see reason. Prince Hans is  _royalty_ ," begged the ambassador of Denmark.

For the last hour he had ranted and raved about how Elsa did not have the authority to imprison Hans without a proper trial. His country had very strong ties to the Southern Isles so it made sense that he was speaking on behalf of its youngest Prince.

Movement near Elsa's left elbow caught her attention and she realized the girl sitting next to her was trembling in anger. Anna had not taken no for an answer when the blonde told her she could not sit in on the meeting with all the important visitors, even after assuring the girl she would only be gone for a few hours. It was not until Anna was practically in tears that Elsa finally gave in, warning her that if she were to behave inappropriately the queen would be forced to have her removed. For the first hour and a half Anna had been a perfect lady, sitting silently beside her sister and politely answering any questions directed her way. However, when they had reached the topic of Hans, Elsa could see her resolve begin to chip away.

The woman couldn't really blame the princess; she herself found that her own patience was wearing thinner the longer the ambassador rambled on. The rest of assembly, even if they did not approve of her decisions, at least treated her with respect. But this man acted like she was just some flighty woman, unfit to lead anyone.

"I am perfectly aware of his status sir. However, that does not absolve him of his crimes. The man manipulated my sister and tried to kill me. What would you have me do?" she asked keeping her voice even and face impassive.

"You have no proof of any of these accusations! You are being ridiculous; this is a blatant misuse of power! I demand that the Prince be released until a trial can be carried out!" he said slamming down a large fist, his face turning beet red.

Elsa sighed, tenting her hands on the large mahogany table in front of her, pressing her fingertips together and closing her eyes. She was very tired and had come to realize she had not eaten anything that day, causing her stomach to clench painfully.

"Arendelle's laws clearly state that the punishment for attempted regicide is punishable by death without trial. The way I see it I am being very merciful toward the prince. In regard to evidence against him, Anna witnessed– "

"That's another thing! Are you now making it common practice to put the word of a silly little girl over that of a decorated soldier and prince? How do we even know she is telling the truth?"

The man instantly regretted his words.

Elsa's eyes had snapped open and the temperature dropped significantly. Everyone in the room grew extremely nervous as they looked back and forth between her and the ambassador. The queen rose silently, never breaking eye contact with the man and he gave an audible swallow.

When she finally spoke her voice was calm but that only made her appear more dangerous, "I consider myself a patient woman, sir. I have endured your disrespectful attitude and ill-manners all night and as far as I am concerned you may abuse me all you like. But  _never_  insult my sister in front of me." Elsa said, not bothering to prevent the frost that crackled around her fingers which were still pressed firmly on the table; something that did not escape the man's notice. "That  _'silly little girl'_  saved you from freezing to death… you would do well to remember that," she said daring him to argue with her. The man simply nodded his reply, face drained of all colour.

Returning her attention back to the rest of the room she continued, "As for the matter of Prince Hans, he will remain in the dungeons until I can commission a ship and return him to his family, should the Southern Isles wish to hold a trial for the prince at that time I will not stop them. I bear no ill will toward his kin but Hans himself is no longer welcome in this kingdom and that is my final say on the matter. Now, if you will excuse me it is getting late and it has been a trying day for all of us. You are all welcome to stay in Arendelle for as long as you need and I personally invite each of you to join us at my sister's celebration. If there is anything else you require please inform my staff and I will be more than happy to assist you in any way that I can. Good evening." She said bowing her head slightly.

"Good evening, your Majesty," was the collective response as the politicians rose from their seats and bowed low in return.

Elsa turned with all the elegance that came from years of training and with slow, even steps strode through the large double doors behind her. Anna followed at her sister's heels, but not before shooting the ambassador one last icy glare.

* * *

"Wow, Elsa! That was so awesome! You were all like, 'Grrr I'm the Snow Queen!' and he was all like, 'eek please forgive me, your Royal Highness, don't turn me into an icicle!' you are seriously the  _coolest_  sister ever." Anna was bouncing around the queen like an excited puppy as they made their way to the kitchens.

"Yes, well I'm glad you think so," Elsa said pursing her lips. She was unsure if her actions had been appropriate, Elsa did not want to make enemies at court nor did she want to scare anyone with her powers.  _No,_  she thought to herself  _he cannot talk about Anna like that and I need them to respect me_.

"Your Majesty!" called a familiar voice as a portly manservant came trotting toward the two royals.

"Yes Kai, what is the matter?" Elsa asked praying that it was not some other official come to drag her away again.

"The ice harvester you spoke of has arrived with his moose and is looking for you and the princess."

"Sven is a reindeer," Anna corrected.

"Apologies, m'lady. Reindeer. Also, Majesty – I am not sure how to say this – he is also in the company of what appears to be, well…," the man looked very flustered as he tried to find the right words to say without sounding like a madman.

"Living snowman?" Elsa asked, surprising the butler. "It is alright Kai. I created Olaf, although I admit I did not realize I had brought him to life at the time." She smiled to herself as she remembered the wonder she had felt upon seeing the little snowman of her childhood alive for the first time. "Please show Kristoff to his room so that he may freshen up before joining us for dinner and take Sven to the stables. Please inform the head groom that he is to be given the very best care- "

"And carrots! He loves carrots!" Anna exclaimed suddenly shooting a single arm up in the air.

Nodding, Elsa resumed her directions, "See that Mr. Bjorgman is comfortable; he and his friend are my personal guests for their services to the crown."

"Very good Majesty, and the snowman?" he asked.

The question threw Elsa for a moment. What  _was_  she going to do with Olaf? Did she give him a room? Did he even need to sleep?  _I should know this I made him for goodness sake._  She couldn't very well let him roam the kingdom, at least not yet. A sentient pile of snow may be unnerving to some. "I will make arrangements for him after dinner. That is all Kai, thank you."

After bowing first to Elsa then to Anna, the manservant hurried off to carry out the queen's wishes. The blonde smiled as she watched him leave. Kai had been with the royal family since before Elsa was born and, besides Gerda, he was the only other person who had known about her secret. When her parents died they had stepped in as her support, helping to keep Anna occupied when Elsa was most vulnerable.

"Come on Elsa, I'm starving! I wonder what Viktor has made for dinner. Scratch that, I wonder what is for dessert. I hope its chocolate related. Oh I'm so excited for you to meet Kristoff. I mean I know you already met him you didn't really meet, meet him. He is a bit weird but don't worry he  _loves_  ice, he was practically crying when he saw your castle and... "

Elsa raised a hand to cover her mouth and gave a small chuckle as she listened to Anna chatter on, bouncing from one topic to another. God how she had missed her, so full of warmth and energy; it was true that they had still seen each other occasionally during meals and on the rare occasion Elsa left her bedroom to roam the castle. However, any interaction was brief and formal, strangers living in the same house.

As soon as the girls rounded the corner they were met with cloud of delicious smells that made Elsa's mouth water and stomach growl angrily.

"Wow Elsa, you must be hungry too!" Anna laughed. "Ugh that smells soooo good," she moaned, skipping ahead and throwing open the dining room doors.

The royals had opted to eat in the smaller of the two dining halls; this one was specially designed to fit just the royal family while the other was used to hold lavish feasts. Or at least it did before the gates had been shut. There was a decently sized table that could easily fit six people but was currently only set for four and a fireplace that blazed merrily across from it. A single waitress stood next to the table, curtsying as the queen and the princess walked in. Naturally, Elsa sat at the head of the table while Anna sat in the seat to her right. Once the women had taken their seats the servant girl poured Elsa a glass of wine and Anna a glass of water.

"Thank you, Helen," Elsa said politely as the girl finished filling Anna's cup.

She gave another curtsy and left through the servant's door into the kitchens.

"Why don't I get any wine?" Anna whined as she watched her sister take a sip.

"Because you are not old enough yet," she replied simply and tried not to laugh as Anna flopped back in her seat pouting dramatically. "Anna, please sit up. If it means that much to you, you can have a  _small_  sip of mine," she said handing the cup to the princess.

Elsa knew she was indulging Anna but the queen found that it was very difficult to say no to the girl after all she had put her through. Elsa had a feeling that the redhead was about become the most spoiled little sister in Arendelle, which may not entirely be a good thing considering Elsa was also technically her disciplinarian.

"Really?! Thanks Elsa! What does it taste like?" Anna asked taking what was definitely more than just a small sip. Her eyes grew twice their normal size as she slammed Elsa's glass down on the table before waving her arms and looking around frantically.

"Anna, don't you dare spit out that wine!" Elsa said shooting her a dangerous look.

"Mmmmf," came the strangled reply. Scrunching up her face in concentration Anna struggled to keep the beverage in her mouth but eventually was able to choke it down. After which she immediately grabbed her water and drained the entire glass. "How the heck do you drink that stuff? It tastes awful!" she said pushing the remaining wine as far away from her as possible.

"I did tell you to take a small sip, and it's more of an acquired taste," Elsa said even though she herself did not enjoy wine very much. Alcohol in general in fact. She had never liked the idea of anything that had the potential to muddle her mind and weaken her hold on her already unruly powers. When she did drink it was mostly for show and more often than not it was watered down.

"Kristoff Bjorgman and Olaf… the snowman," announced Kai as he opened the doors revealing a very nervous looking Kristoff and excited Olaf.

"Uh thanks," he mumbled walking over to where the queen and princess sat.

The ice harvester had changed into some fresh clothes; a simple white, linen shirt and black riding pants. His boots however, remained the same. As he approached the table both the queen and the princess rose. Anna had a goofy grin on her face while the queen gave him a small, albeit warm smile. He felt his mouth go dry when he saw Anna up close. She looked so beautiful in her dress with the low neckline; making his cheeks flush when he saw the freckles that dotted her collarbone.

_Keep it together, Bjorgman._

"Hi guys!" cried an exuberant Olaf as he skipped over to the table and sat in the seat beside the princess. "I saw your speech Elsa. It was so nice, I cried three whole times," he said proudly.

"Thank you Olaf," Elsa said. "Please take a seat Kristoff, dinner should be along shortly," Elsa said gesturing to the chair to the chair on her left, facing Anna.

Sure enough, the second the mountain man sat down the food was served. It was the best looking meal Kristoff had seen in his entire life; smoked Arendellian trout served with golden potatoes and fresh green beans. For a while they sat in awkward silence, each in their own private thoughts as they ate, occasionally Kristoff would steal a glance at the woman across from him, unable to help himself from watching her lips as she chewed.

Elsa was the first to break the silence, "So, Kristoff are you originally from Arendelle?"

Kristoff almost choked on his bite of fish, terrified the queen had seen him starring at Anna. "Well… I'm not exactly sure where I'm from to tell you the truth," he said with a shrug, unable to keep eye contact. What was it about this woman that terrified him so much?  _She is Anna's sister._  "My parents died when I was really young and the other ice harvesters took me in for a while before I was adopted by my current family."

"He was adopted by trolls Elsa! Can you believe that? Trolls," Anna interrupted excitedly.

"Yeah! We thought he was crazy because they look just like rocks!" Olaf chimed in.

Elsa went stiff, dropping the fork she had been about to bring to her mouth and causing the potato it held to roll across the table. Her mind flashed back to that night. An unconscious Anna lying in her mother's arms shivering from the icy blast Elsa had accidentally shot at her head.  _No! Anna's here, she is safe. Calm down._

"What did you say?" she whispered her voice shaking.

"I said Kristoff was raised by trolls," she said slowly. "Elsa, are you alright?" the princess was becoming increasingly worried as watched the queen hug herself tightly.

It was a long time before Elsa finally spoke. "How long have you known?" Elsa said eyes never leaving her plate.

Kristoff instinctively knew she was talking to him. There was no sense in lying to the queen, she was bound to have found out sooner or later. "Ever since your… visit. It was actually you and your parents that led me to the valley in the first place."

"And you never told anyone?"

He shrugged in reply and rubbed the back of his neck. "It wasn't any of my business, I doubt anyone would have believed me anyway," the man said unable to bring himself to look anywhere but the cup in his hand.

"Thank you. That means more to me than you could ever know," she said quietly.

"Okay what are you guys talking about?" said a very confused Anna. Everyone was avoiding her gaze, except for Olaf who was looking at everyone at once.

"Why do you look so sad Elsa? Do you need a hug?" said the snowman asked hopefully.

Ignoring her creation's question the queen rose from her chair and made her way over to the fireplace. She then proceeded to stare into the flames lost in thought for what seemed like an eternity. "Kristoff, Olaf, would you give me a few moments alone with my sister?" she said.

"Uh yeah sure, no problem," Kristoff said hurriedly, relieved that he would be able to escape the awkward situation he had unwillingly created. After shooting Anna one last apologetic look he walked through the doors out and into the hall with a stricken looking Olaf in his wake.

"Elsa, what's going on? You're scaring me."

"Anna, there is something I need to tell you, something I have wanted to tell you for a very long time. I had hoped that it could wait but… " she sighed, straightening her back and clasping her hands behind her.  _Maybe if I don't look at her this will be easier._  "Do you remember earlier today when I mentioned there had been an accident regarding my powers?"

"Yeeeaaaah," Anna said looking very intensely at the back of her sister's head.

"You weren't always ignorant of my powers. In fact, you were the one who loved them most of all. One night we were playing in the ballroom and I made it snow for you, it always made you so happy when I used my magic," she said bringing her shaking hands in front of her. "We were playing a game when I slipped and hit you in the head with my… my…" She couldn't bring herself to say the words.

"You hit me with your powers?" Anna finished for her. Elsa just nodded slowly. "Why don't I remember any of this?" she said searching her memory for any traces of the event but all she found were images of the two of them giggling in the palace gardens as they built their snowy friend.

"Mother and Father brought you to the only creatures that had any real understanding of magic: the trolls… and apparently Kristoff's family. They cured you, but it required removing every trace of magic from your mind, including memories of it. We were all so afraid that it would happen again that father thought it would be for the best if we concealed my powers from everyone until I could control them… even you," Elsa said as her shoulders sagged. "I had hoped that it would only take a year or two to learn how to master my power, and then we could be together again. I tried so very hard, practicing every day but they only got stronger and I got more dangerous," she said bitterly.

"Why didn't you tell me later, when I was older? Did Mama and Papa really not trust me that much?" she said sounding so hurt that it caused Elsa to feel physical pain.

"No, no Anna. It was never like that," she said finally turning around and kneeling beside her sister who looked very close to tears.

"Mother and Father wanted to tell you when they realized that I wasn't getting anywhere by myself. I was so angry and scared all the time that they thought your knowing would somehow help… but I wouldn't let them," she said, voice full of guilt and tears swirling in her eyes.

"What?! Why not?" Anna cried searching the queen's face for any hint of an answer.

"I couldn't let you see me that way. I was terrified that if you found out before I could control it you would be afraid of me, think I was… a monster... that would have destroyed me. Although, I wouldn't have blamed you if you did. I had hurt you; my little sister… my best friend," she finally choked out before collapsing into Anna's lap, sobbing uncontrollably for the third time that day. Elsa was surprised she had any tears left, but here she was leaving a stain on Anna's skirts.

"...I forgive you."

Elsa's head jerked up at Anna's voice. She had not expected that. "What? No Anna, you should be angry with me. I made your life miserable all because I was too selfish to tell you the truth," she said baffled that Anna had forgiven her so quickly.

"Elsa, you did all that stuff because you wanted to protect me, you spent all that time alone and scared. You were willing to sacrifice your own happiness just to keep me safe, which I am pretty sure is the exact opposite of selfish," the princess said smiling.

The young queen stared up at her in amazement. How this goofy, brash, young girl could be so unbelievably understanding was beyond her.

"By the way Elsa, I don't know where you got the idea that I would find you scary. So you have wintery powers, big deal. I once smashed a giant snowman in the face with a tree."

Elsa laughed. A real laugh, not the proper little giggles she sometimes allowed herself. The queen had forgotten how wonderful it felt. When she was finally able to catch her breath the young woman stood up, using the table for support. "All this crying is exhausting," she said dabbing at her eyes. "Go fetch Olaf and Kristoff so that we can finish eating. I think that I will need to go to bed soon."

"Your wish is my command, your Majesty," Anna said jumping up and bowing low in front of her sister before running to fetch the boys.

Elsa could only laugh and roll her eyes.  _Wise Anna has left the building._


	4. Chapter 4

***WARNING POSSIBLE TRIGGER* Mention of thoughts of suicide**

_*Night of the Great Thaw*_

Elsa had to suppress a groan as she looked up the three flights of stairs that lead to the residency wing where the royal bedrooms were located. After finishing dinner, which became much more relaxed after her… confession, the four had decided it was time to turn in for the night.

Before they'd parted ways, the queen had a chat with Olaf about staying inside the castle grounds and away from the villagers. At first he was disappointed but once she explained it was only until the celebration, where she would introduce him properly, he became so happy that his hug threw her off-balance. The snowman then decided he wanted to keep Sven company and skipped off to the stables, but not before flashing the trio a toothy grin and waving his twig arm goodbye.

Elsa was exhausted, the last seventy-two hours had been an endless emotional hurricane. She was really looking forward to slipping beneath the covers of her bed and resting her tired eyes, but first she had to get there. And so, Elsa began the slow steady climb up the spiral staircase using the railing heavily for support, every muscle screaming at her in protest. Anna and Kristoff trailed after her, the princess relaying stories about how she would often slide down the banister to save time and occasionally pointed out a favourite painting.

Kristoff was only half listening to the redhead, he was too busy admiring how adorable she was. Smiling as she talk animatedly about anything and everything, limbs gesturing wildly as she spoke. Never had he seen a person make so many varied facial expressions in one sentence before. He found himself inexplicably drawn to her and it frightened him a little.

Due to his occupation the man had never really had a lot of human interaction, least of all with women. He has no idea how to act around them let alone one he had feelings for, a  _princess_  he had feelings for. Was he even allowed feel this way about Anna? She was royalty and he was just a common ice harvester.

_This is going to be complicated._

"Kristoff are you even listening to me?" Anna asked, placing her hands on her hips. They had reached the second landing which housed the guest rooms.

"Huh? Yeah, you used to hide in the parlour," he said shaking the thoughts from his head.

"I said I used to  _slide_  in the parlour and I got very good at it thank you very much," she stated a little smugly. Anna then became very shy and bit her lip as she looked up at him. "Good night Kristoff, I'll see you in the morning right?" she said blushing.

"Uh sure, of course," he said rubbing his neck and turning a little red himself. His heart was beating so hard he thought it might burst from his chest. She actually wanted him to stay!

When the two simply stood there, each avoiding the other's gaze and blushing profusely, Elsa decided to step in. "Good evening, Kristoff. I hope you find everything to your liking. If you need anything please do not hesitate to ask," she said earnestly.

"Thank you, your Majesty," he said dropping his gazing and bowing.

"Come along Anna, let's not keep Mr. Bjorgman from his rest," Elsa said before turning back to the herculean task of making it to her bedroom in one piece.

Flashing him one last smile Anna waved to the mountain man before running to catch up with her sister.

All Kristoff could do was stare after her, a dreamy smile on his face and one hand raised in farewell. It wasn't until she vanished from sight that he was able to tear his eyes away and slowly make his way to the room set aside for him.

"Elsa?"

"Hmmm?" came the queen's sleepy reply, concealing a yawn as they stood in front of Anna's bedroom about to depart for the evening.

"Could I… I mean, would it be okay if… I um… I slept with you tonight? I don't want to be alone just yet…" She trailed off, embarrassed.

"Of course you can," she said gently, cupping one of Anna's cheeks in her hand. She had been secretly hoping Anna would ask to stay with her. The queen knew she would not be getting much sleep if the girl was not nearby to remind Elsa that she wasn't still locked in ice.

"It'll be a regular girl's night," Elsa said giving her a wink.

The princess' face lit up and clapped her hands squealing in delight.

* * *

"What's your favourite colour?" Anna asked popping another chocolate into her mouth and leaning against her sister's legs. The girls had changed into their night clothes and were now sitting on Elsa's bed eating her secret stash of sweets and asking each other questions. The girls discovered that they didn't really know each other very well and were determined to fix it.

"Violet. What about you?" she said resting against the headboard and playing with Anna's hair; braiding it before combing it out with her fingers.

"Hmm, I guess if I had to pick one I would say green, but I like all the colours," she answered, feeling her eye lids getting heavy. "Do you have any hobbies? I personally like sliding in my socks and dancing. Oh, and horseback riding!"

"I suppose I have always enjoyed needlework and sketching. Geometry was my favourite subject in lessons and you already know that I do fair bit of reading."

"A  _fair_  bit?" she scoffed. "Elsa you have more books in here then I have freckles. I think it is safe to say that you do a lot more than a 'fair' bit of reading"

"Very funny," she said giving the princess' hair a playful tug. Suddenly a wicked smile spread across her face. "Your friend Kristoff is very handsome isn't he?" she teased, causing Anna to start choking. Laughing, Elsa started to pat the girl on the back to help dislodge the treat from her windpipe.

"What!? Yeah maybe, I guess. If you like that sorta thing," the red haired girl stammered cheeks burning.

"Well, he most certainly likes you. I caught him staring more than once during dinner," she said.

"You really think so?! I was worried I was just imagining things. Olaf seems to think that he loves me, but we all know what happened the last time I 'fell in love,'" she said using her fingers as quotations. "We've only known each other for three days! I definitely feel  _something_  for him but I don't what it is. How the heck do you know that you love someone!? I mean, I know I love you but that is different… ugh this is so frustrating!" she moaned burying her face in her hands.

"I wish I could give you some advice Anna, but I'm afraid I am not very well versed in matters of the heart. A crippling fear of being around people can have that effect on a person. The only men I have ever dealt with were quite a bit older than I am, although father did once try to persuade me to meet a few suitors." Elsa frowned as she recalled the one time she had ever really fought with her father. It wasn't that Elsa didn't want to find love, she was just so scared of hurting someone that the thought of allowing another person to be intimate with her like that had left the queen-to-be sick with fear.

"I'm sorry. I am not a very good big sister am I?" she sighed hugging her knees.

"Don't say that Elsa, you're a great sister! You practically gave that ambassador guy a heart attack because he was mean to me! Man the look on his face was priceless!" she said sitting up and smiling cheerfully.

Anna's grin was infectious as the queen grew one of own. "Thank you, but back to the subject of you and Kristoff. We will have to think of a way that he can court you without causing a scandal. It is generally not acceptable for a commoner to actively seek out the affections of a princess. However, I don't think it will be too difficult to raise his social status since he has done so much for the both of us, but to what I have no idea. Duke or Baron would probably be suspicious but maybe knighthood wouldn't raise too many questions," she pondered out loud.

"Haha! Sir Kristoff Bjorgman. I bet he would hate that," she giggled. Anna was ecstatic that her sister approved of Kristoff and that she was actively going out of her way to support their budding relationship.

At the same time she was lingering on what her sister had said about not knowing anything about relationships. The princess realized that she was just starting to scratch the surface of just how much the queen had given up the day she barricaded herself in this room.

"Hey, Elsa?" she said breaking the queen's train of thought. "Do you mind if I ask you some questions? You know, from when we were apart. There are still some things that I don't get. But it's okay if you don't want to answer them," Anna added quickly.

The question caught Elsa off guard, her past was still very raw and she wasn't sure if she was ready to share all the details quite yet. However, after a time she finally said, "Yes, I think I owe you that much at least."

"Okay well first, I get that your powers are effected by your emotions but there were a lot of times..." Anna paused, nervously playing with one of her braids. "When you stayed away even though everything was totally calm. I mean mama and papa just always told me you were sick," she said referring to all the times her parents had told her Elsa was sick in bed each time she asked why her sister couldn't play or why she absent during certain holidays. "But I assume that was a lie too."

"No, your right Anna. I wasn't ill. At least not in the conventional way. Although a lot of those situations weren't emotionally charged for you, it was different for me... its a little hard to explain. But that was also the excuse Mother and Father used when I'd had one of my… episodes," she said looking down.

"Episodes?"

Elsa nodded. "Remember when... when... I struck you with my powers?" Elsa twisted her hands together, the overwhelming guilt made her want to gag. "How they sort of just  _erupted_  from my body?"

"Mhmm."

"Every so often, usually when I was under a lot of stress, something would set me off and my powers would sort of... do that. Thinking back, it was probably from being suppressed for too long. Unfortunately, this meant that I couldn't be around anyone for hours… " Elsa said thinking about how her mother had tried to hold her the first time it happened and how the contact had burned her hands.

"Wow... does it hurt?"

Elsa just shrugged. "Not so much anymore. They became easier to deal with over time and sometimes I could even stop them if I sensed it early enough."

Anna shivered at the thought of having to go through something like that. "Umm… ok when I asked Mama and Papa why they separated our rooms and why you didn't come out, they would always just say that you were busy learning how to be queen and need to be left alone to study. Was any of that true?"

"Yes and no. It didn't start out that way. You see, my more rigorous training didn't truly begin until I was twelve and even that was early. I needed something to distract me. Those first few years spent trying to learn how to control my magic were the hardest... Anything else?" she asked still not looking up.

"One more… why didn't you come to the funeral?"

The queen knew Anna was bound to ask her this question but it still made her wince. "I was going to, I  _wanted_  to… but I was still so weak from that day we found out that I knew I wouldn't be able to keep myself under control."

"That was like three weeks before the service!? What happened?" Anna asked eyebrows furrowed in a mixture of concern and confusion.

Elsa then reluctantly relayed how the news of their parent's death led to a rather severe episode. She couldn't remember portions but most of what she did remember was clear as day. Just barely making it to her chambers before the first wave hit, her body convulsing painfully as the ice ripped from her body. Screaming in anguish and pain until her throat was raw and lungs burned. Her insurmountable grief taking physical form as the blizzard raged in her bedroom. Deadly stalagmites springing up around her almost protectively as she lay curled up in the center of her room effectively destroying every last piece of furniture it housed.

Eventually, waking up to Gerda standing over her hours later, coaxing Elsa from unconsciousness with just her voice since she was still too cold to touch. How it had taken half an hour for the blonde to regain full cognitive function and another six to stop the blinding pain in her head. Her bedroom had been rendered inhabitable for almost a week, at the end of which she immediately returned. Elsa remembered thinking she would be able to make it to the funeral since she had not had any more episodes after that, believing that she was empty of magic for the time being; but of course, she was wrong.

When she was done all she could do was stare at her hands in shame, unable to cry. There was not a day that went by that she didn't feel guilty about not attending the service.

_I should have been there; to say goodbye... for Anna._

Elsa was jolted from her grave musings when something slammed into her knocking the woman flat on her back and squeezing her painfully. "Anna, I can't breathe," she wheezed.

"I don't rightly care, I need to make up for all the times you needed this and I couldn't deliver," she mumbled into Elsa's platinum hair but softening her grip all the same.

"Thank you Anna, but could you maybe cling to me under the covers, I don't know about you but I am ready for some much deserved sleep," she said yawning.

"I guess I could get onboard with that idea," Anna replied momentarily releasing her big sister and crawling under the sheets beside her. The second Elsa's head hit the pillow the princess cuddled up next to her nuzzling her head directly below the queen's head in the crook of her neck, sighing happily.

Smiling down at her little sister Elsa closed her eyes, stroking the girl's hair as she began to sing a lullaby their mother used to sing to them when they were small.

" _Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra, Too-ra-loo-ra-lie,_  
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra, hush now don't you cry.  
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra, Too-ra-loo-ra-lie,  
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra, that's a princess lullaby.  
Over in Arendelle, many years ago,  
My mother sang a song to me, in tones so sweet and low.  
Just a simple little number, in her good old loving way,  
And I'd give the world if she could sing, that song to me today.  
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra, Too-ra-loo-ra-lie,  
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra, hush now don't you cry.  
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra, Too-ra-loo-ra-lie,  
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra, that's a princess lullaby."

"I miss them," Anna said softly.

"Me too," she said giving the girl a gentle squeeze before resuming the melody but deciding to stick to the chorus until she felt Anna's breathing slow and body relax.

Where sleep came easily for Anna, it eluded Elsa despite how weary she was, slipping through her grasp like smoke. Images of the last few days flashing through her mind at random; from watching as the arrow raced toward her chest to looking down at the shackles that encased her hands. However, her mind would always return to one image in particular; Anna's frozen body, shielding Elsa from the sword that would have cleaved her head from her shoulders. To calm herself, Elsa chased away the disturbing visions by listening to Anna's heartbeat, eventually slipping into a fitful slumber.

* * *

_All she could see was white. No matter which direction she turned all she could see were the angry snowflakes that whirled around her, but Elsa somehow knew she was on the fjord, caught in a furious blizzard that grabbed at her dress and hair with icy fingers. The wind howled cruel accusations at her as she spun frantically searching for anything other than white._

_You put them all in danger Elsa, you are not fit to be a queen._

_You are so weak, can't even control your own powers… pathetic._

_You chased her away, your own sister, you really are a monster._

_Conceal, don't feel! Control yourself stupid girl!_

_"SHUT UP!" she screamed pressing her hands to her ears. Once the voices quieted she went back to her previous task: escape. They were coming after her, whether that meant execution or imprisonment she didn't know. Either way it didn't matter, she had to keep moving, had to get as far away as possible. It felt as though she were running through water; her legs were heavy and it seemed as though she hadn't made any progress._

_Then everything stood still. Snowflakes hung suspended in the air unable to finish their decent and the furious wind died away. That's when she saw it. A small light glowing in the distance. Elsa didn't know why but she suddenly found herself racing toward it like the Devil himself was at her heels. As she grew closer the light began to take shape. It was a beautiful woman dressed all in blue, one of her hands was stretched above her and she was staring blankly at nothing in particular. Elsa noticed something strange about the woman, her skin was the same colour as her clothes and she wasn't moving, almost as if she were…_

_NO!_

_"No! No! No! Anna! Please no! It can't be true! Please!" she screamed falling in a crumpled heap at her dead sister's feet, tears pouring down her cheeks._

_"Elsa? Elsa, what have you done?" whispered a hauntingly familiar voice._

_Whipping her head around Elsa felt a fleeting moment of pure joy before terror and confusion tore the air from her lungs. There, standing above her were the ghostly figures of her parents who looked down at their daughter with such disgust that Elsa flinched as though she'd been struck._

_"I didn't mean to! Mama, Papa please believe me!" she cried, begging for forgiveness._

_Her mother's once beautiful face morphed into a grotesque scowl of pure hatred. "You killed her! Your own sister, she is dead because of you!" her mother screeched, pointing an ethereal finger at Elsa accusingly._

_"MURDERER! MURDERER!" they yelled together backing away slowly and bursting into a flurry of snowflakes that surrounded the whimpering blonde. Their voices only increased in volume as the storm raged around her._

_"No! Please! I'm sorry, it was an accident!" she wailed, trying to drown out the chanting that filled her head._

* * *

"Elsa! Elsa, please wake up!" Anna sobbed shaking the queen violently as she thrashed in her sleep. The princess had been trying to wake her sister for the last ten minutes but no matter how hard she tried the girl was unable to put an end to Elsa's blood curdling screams. The room was becoming increasingly cold and frost had started to form on the windows.

"Anna!" the queen shrieked yet again and her skin became so frigid that Anna retracted her hands, hissing in pain.

"ELSA!" she shouted so loudly that she was certain the whole castle must have heard.

The queen's eyes sprang open, but they were still far away and unfocused. She seemed to be looking at Anna without actually seeing her. "Please, you have to kill me. End this torture," she begged. "Destroy me before I can hurt anyone else. I'm sorry I couldn't bring myself to do it before, I tried. I don't want to live without her, she was all I had left," she pleaded as tears streamed down her face. "Please."

All Anna could do was stare at her sister in horror.  _She thought about ending her life?_ _That's why she wouldn't move when Hans came at her. I knew she could hear him… she wanted to die…_

When Elsa's eyes finally came into focus she looked so panicked that Anna thought she was going to scream again, but when she opened her mouth no sound came out. This only seemed to frighten her more as her eyes widened and she began to hyperventilate.

"Elsa, it's okay I'm right here. It's not real, you need to calm down," she said as gently as she could, trying to be strong for the unravelling queen. However, the blonde didn't seem to hear her as she began to shake uncontrollably still attempting to force noise from her throat. Anna then tried the only thing she could think of and grabbed her sister, lying down with Elsa practically on top of her. Anna clenched her teeth against the bite of young woman's freezing cold flesh and wrapped her arms around Elsa's body holding her firmly in place.

At first the elder girl fought against her but Anna just tightened her grasp. Elsa was surprisingly strong for her size, but then again so was the princess. It took a long time for the young queen to regain full awareness of her surroundings. When she did, Elsa returned her sister's death grip trembling and weeping, completely undone.

Anna lay still, rubbing the woman's back and humming the lullaby Elsa had sung to her just a few hours ago. They remained that way until the queen had cried herself into a mercifully dreamless sleep.

 


	5. Chapter 5

_*One week after the Great Thaw*_

"I'm boooooooored!"

Elsa smiled to herself as she signed her looping signature on yet another document. This one in particular, was a receipt regarding the large quantities of food she was having delivered from a neighboring kingdom. She tried not to dwell on the large figure at the bottom of the parchment indicating price.

Ever since her public address a week ago, the men who made up her council were constantly reminding her of the debt Arendelle would surely fall into if she continued with the celebration she had planned. But she would simply wave the men off assuring them it would all be taken care of.

"Then go find Kristoff or Olaf. I'm sure they would be much more interesting than your dull sister."

"But I want to hang out with you," she mumbled, slumping in the plush chair she currently occupied. The princess had spent the better part of two hours sitting across from the queen's desk, chatting while Elsa worked. "Come on you have been holed up in this room all morning. Let's go into town."

Elsa sighed and looked up at her sibling's hopeful expression. Anna's suggestion was tempting. The queen was having a difficult time concentrating and she was so  _tired_. She'd been having her night terrors every night and the only reason she'd been able to get any sleep at all was because Anna refused to sleep in her own room, even if that meant being regularly woken up by Elsa's thrashing. It was also true that she had been going over paperwork since breakfast, and the walls of her new study felt as though they were starting to close in on her.

In the past Elsa had conducted all of her royal duties in her bedroom but now that she was queen she decided it was time to move to her father's old study. At first it had unnerved her, feeling as though she was trespassing on her father's privacy, but she soon found the extra space to be surprisingly convenient.

"I'm sorry Anna, but I'm too busy right now. I have a lot to catch up on from the last few days, which, if I remember correctly, was spent almost entirely with you. I have a private meeting in a little while and then I will be holding court. It's Tuesday remember?"

One of the very first decrees Elsa had drawn up since her return was that twice a week she would open the castle to anyone who wished to speak with her. The woman was desperate to get to know her people and show them - and herself - she was fit to be a ruler.

Anna's face fell. "Oh."

It didn't matter to Anna that they had spent practically the whole week together; walking around the palace, simply enjoying each other's company and catching up. She still wanted to spend every waking moment with her sister, secretly terrified Elsa would eventually get tired of the girl and shut her out again.

The hurt on the girl's face was enough to make the older woman's chest clench painfully. Placing her writing quill back in its respective ink pot, Elsa stood and made her way over to the disappointed princess.

"We will spend time together after dinner okay," she said, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. "… maybe there will even be some magic involved," she added with a wink.

Anna crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air. "Fine. I suppose that would be acceptable," she said with mock indifference but Elsa could see the small smile that tugged at the ends of her lips.

"Oh it is, is it?" she replied with a smirk and gave her sister a quick poke in the ribs.

"Ow! Alright-," she giggled, swatting away the offending appendage. "-it sounds great. Who are you meeting with anyway?"

"The Duke of Weselton."

"Eww, why would you want to talk to him?" she asked rubbing the spot where Elsa had jabbed her. "My feet are still bruised from his last visit."

Elsa lips drew into a thin line. She hadn't yet told the princess about the events that had transpired at her ice palace after Anna's… departure. The young queen didn't want to keep any more secrets from Anna but she also didn't want to upset her, and the blonde knew this would definitely make Anna very angry.

Resolving to tell her about it later, possibly after the Duke had left Arendelle, Elsa simply said, "just some matters of trade."

"Boooorrring."

Elsa rolled her eyes and as she did so caught sight of the time. "Oh my. The Duke will be here any minute. Anna I hate to ask you to leave but he requested to speak with me in private. You know I would spend the time with you if I could but this is an important matter. Besides I don't think you would be interested in it anyway and-"

Elsa scrambled to find another good excuse to convince Anna to leave without a fuss but the redhead cut her off.

"Okay, Ms. I'm-too-good-to-hang-out-with-my-super-cool-little-sister-cause-I'm-the-almighty-Snow-Queen. I get the message."

Elsa gave her a grateful smile and was about to thank her sister for being so understanding when she was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Yes?" Elsa answered.

"Your Majesty, the Duke of Weaseltown is here to see you."

"Weselton!"

"Thank you Kai. Just a moment," she called before turning back to Anna. "I'll see you at dinner okay. Unless you want to hold court with me, Arendelle is your kingdom too."

"Nah, I think I will go bug Kristoff for a while. You try not to fall asleep during your boring meeting. I hear that's not very queenly," she said giving her sister a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. "Bye."

"Bye."

Then she was gone, disappearing into the hallway. Elsa sighed and sat back down at her desk. She was dreading this meeting and wanted nothing more than to shrug off her role as Queen and explore the kingdom with her bubbly little sister.

"Send him in."

* * *

Once Anna had left her sister's study she had decided to hunt down Kristoff. And after a little detective work she found him in the stables grooming Sven. She didn't make her presence known right away, content to just watch him work for a while. The girl felt her face grow warm as her eyes followed the movements of his strong arms as they brushed all the dust and loose hair from his friend's shaggy coat. When he bent over to pick up one of the reindeer's hooves she almost squeaked.

_What the heck is wrong with me?_

"Hi Anna!" cried a familiar voice from behind her.

The princess had been so busy ogling the ice harvester that she hadn't noticed Olaf come up behind her. His sudden appearance caused her to jump three feet in the air and scream so loud that Kristoff's head snapped up.

"Goodness Olaf, don't scare me like that!" she cried clutching her chest trying to settle her racing heart.

"Hehe, sorry Anna. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, well you know. I got bored and came to see-"

"Do you always enter rooms like this?" came the teasing voice of Kristoff who had dropped his friend's hoof, walking over to the princess and snowman.

"No! Olaf just startled me," she said crossing her arms and shooting him a glare.

"Right,  _startled_ … so what brings you out here?"

"Elsa is busy being all queenly and stuff so I came down to see if you wanted to maybe do something together," she said tucking some hair behind her ears and suddenly becoming very interested in her slippers.

The man quickly glanced at Sven for help but the reindeer just kept happily munching on his hay.

_Thanks for nothing you useless cow._

"Uh, okay. Sure. What do you want to do?" he said nervously running his hand through his hair.

A smile spread across Anna's face at his acceptance. "How about we go into town for lunch? I've never really been allowed outside the castle before."

Olaf seemed to think this was a grand idea.

"Yay! I love going into town, let's go!" exclaimed the jolly little snowman at their feet.

The princess had to grab his little arm before he could run off. "Sorry, Olaf, remember what Elsa said? You have to wait until the party."

"Oh yeah," he said slumping.

Looking down at the sad little snowman, Anna got an idea. "Hey Olaf, would you be willing to go on a special mission for me?" Anna asked, allowing the plan to grow in her mind.

"Special mission! Absolutely! What is it?"

"I need you to keep an eye on Elsa for me and give her warm hugs when she needs them. But there's a catch; you can't be seen by anyone except the servants and Elsa herself. Are you up for the challenge?"

The snowman began nodding his head so violently she though it would topple off the rest of his body. "Leave it to me! I'll take good care of her!" he shouted like a war cry and raced off to the castle.

Kristoff cocked one thick eyebrow in her direction looking impressed. "Nice one, killing two birds with one stone I see."

"Well you know me, always a multitasker. Wait no, that's not right, multitaskist? Multitaskifier? Never mind," she said shaking her head.

"I thought princesses had flawless vocabularies?" he teased.

"Shut up. I can still talk circles around you, ice boy. Now come on I'm getting hungry," she said taking his hand and leading him out of the stable towards the open gates.

* * *

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty."

The short, bespectacled man approached her and bowed deeply.

Elsa could see his toupee slowly unsticking from his head, but before it could fall he snapped back up again.

"Good afternoon. Please take a seat," she said politely indicating the chair that faced her large desk.

The movement of her hand caught his eye. When he noticed it was no longer gloved she saw a flicker of unease.

_Good._

"Thank you Queen Elsa, you are too kind," he replied sitting down, feet barely touching the floor. "Might I ask to what I owe the pleasure of your summons?"

"I am afraid that I need some council regarding a rather… disturbing dilemma I am having," she said keeping her expression blank.

"Dilemma, Your Grace?"

"Yes you see, two men attacked me up on the North Mountain, for reasons I can only guess. Lucky for me my… how did you put it... ah yes, my  _sorcery_  was strong enough to protect me. And lucky for  _them_  Prince Hans reminded me that I don't particularly enjoy ending people's lives… even if it is in self-defence." She paused for a moment to let the man absorb what she had said.

The queen was sure that he had never gotten a chance to talk with his men since their return from the mountain. The guard captain had assured her that Hans had placed the men in a cell as soon as they returned and the men had not had any visitors. Conveniently, the captain chose to leave out the part where he let a stranger lock up his queen in a cell along with them. This meant the Duke did not know that she had single-handedly fought off the two men, almost killing them in the process and she reveled in his surprised expression, brief as it was.

"That must have been very traumatic for you Majesty," he said evenly and glancing at her folded hands once more.

"Oh yes very much so, and as you can imagine this has left me quite distraught. Which is why I am having such a difficult time deciding what to do next. I thought you might be able to help me."

"I am very flattered that you would turn to me for guidance Queen Elsa, but surely there are those much more suited to the task. Why me?"

"Well as it appears these men are from none other than your own province it seemed only fitting," she said looking him dead in the eye and watched as he fidgeted nervously in his seat. "So I ask you, what would you do in my position? If you had welcomed  _someone_  into your kingdom, provided  _someone_  with the utmost in hospitality, accidentally revealed a very vulnerable side of yourself to that  _someone_ , and in return have that very same  _someone_ try to have you assassinated. What would you recommend I do with this  _someone_?"

Elsa let the thinly veiled accusation hang in the air as she watched for his reaction. At first he looked as though he was going to simply deny everything but he seemed to think better of himself and suddenly his face grew dark.

"You have no proof."

Elsa looked at him through half lidded eyes as though she found the man tiresome, mostly because she could tell it irritated him. "This is true, but the matter still stands that two men under your command attempted to put a bolt through my chest and of  _that_  I do have proof. So, I should think that two years of free trade would be adequate as a formal apology."

An angry flush spread quickly from his ears to the rest of his face and he stood so suddenly that his chair fell down behind him; which was impressive considering his size.

"Apology!" he shouted hands balled into fists at his sides. "I owe you nothing, madam; it is  _you_  who should be offering  _me_  such things. You should be begging at my feet not to reveal to everyone the monster you truly are. You may have fooled all of your witless peasants but I am not so easily deceived."

Elsa's eyes flashed dangerously and the temperature plunged so low that each breath the Duke made left a small cloud of vapor. Every candle in the room, as well as the fireplace immediately went out, leaving the only source of light to the small window near her desk. Blue sparks cracked and hissed around the queen's hands which were clasped so tight that her knuckles had turned white.

She was  _furious_.

"You forget yourself, sir," she growled. "You will speak of my people with respect whilst in my presence."

"You mean the people who not two days ago were more than happy to hand the throne over to Prince Hans. You are no  _Queen,_ " he spat. "You are nothing more than a-"

"SILENCE!" she roared slamming her fist against the desk, leaving a small dusting of frost just beneath it.

The Duke jumped back in alarm, his eyes fixed on her hands as she drew herself up, taking full advantage of their height difference.

Elsa's composure was lost only for a second as she took in a deep breath and turned her face to stone once more. "I offered you a chance to make amends and leave here peacefully. But as it seems you have no wish to do proceed down that path, I will have to think of some other way to deal with you. Kai!" she called, not giving the nobleman a chance to respond.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" the manservant asked entering cautiously, having felt the temperature change from outside the room.

"Please have the Duke escorted back to his ship, it seems something urgent has come up and he must return home immediately." Elsa directed her attention back to the stunned Duke. "You may come and collect your men as soon as you are ready to sail. That is all," she said before turning back to her desk and sitting down.

Kai gave a bow before gently steering the man out of her study and partially closing the door behind him. Apparently the Duke recovered from his shock once they were in the hallway because she suddenly heard a cry of, "Get your hands off me fool!" before his angry footsteps faded away.

Elsa finally released the breath she had been holding, slumping in her chair and resting her head in her hands. The queen suddenly and desperately wished Anna was with her.

_Why do I keep letting people get away with trying to kill me?_

The faint sound of a door creaking open reached the young woman's ears. Assuming it was Kai come to fetch her for the court appearance Elsa lifted her head to assure him she would be down in a minute. However, the words died on her tongue when she saw that no one was there, as if the door had opened on its own.

She was about to move to close it when a familiar giggle stopped her.

"Olaf? What are you doing here?" she asked fondly, turning her seat so that she could face the snowman properly.

"Hi, Elsa! Anna gave me a super special mission," he replied, waddling up to her and plopping down at her feet.

"Oh really, and what would that be?" she said cocking her head to the side.

"She asked me to keep an eye on you." He opened one of his eyes comically wide and leaned forward to emphasize this. "And to give you warm hugs if you need them. Do you need any?"

Elsa blinked down at him, processing what he had said; even when she wasn't around, Anna found a way to make sure her older sister was taken care of. Was there no end to this girl's selflessness?

"Come to think of it, that is exactly what I need."

Sliding off the chair to her knees Elsa engulfed the little snowman in a tight embrace as he gasped in delight, proud that he had accomplished the mission his friend had assigned him. The blonde smiled as she felt the stress from her argument with the Duke slip away.

_Thank you Anna._

* * *

After wandering through the crowded streets for a while Kristoff brought Anna to a local shop that served hot rolls and cold meats for a quick lunch. Once they had finished eating, the two decided to simply walk through the market square, two royal guards following at a distance.

Elsa had insisted that if Anna wanted to leave the castle grounds she was always to have an escort. At first the princess had flat out refused the idea, she could not understand why Elsa had so little faith in her ability to take care of herself. However, after a small argument Anna was able to weasel out the true reason behind the queen's request.

" _I can't lose you again Anna. Please."_

The second Elsa had whispered those words to her, all of her stubbornness melted away and she willingly conceded to her sibling's wishes.

Throughout the day Anna and Kristoff were stopped by townspeople who wanted to meet the girl. Luckily for Kristoff, everyone was so excited to see their heroic princess up close they tended not to notice the man at her side. He was not an overly social person anyway.

Eventually the crowd of avid fans let them be and the pair could return to their browsing. The redhead had already bought a package of gourmet chocolates, some flowers for Olaf and a few new ribbons for her hair. All of which were currently resting in the arms of Kristoff, but the ice harvester was too busy enjoying his time with Anna to mind. He couldn't seem to wipe the dopey grin he'd acquired since the beginning of their trip off his face.

"I hope Elsa isn't working too hard. It's too bad she couldn't come with us, but I think all these people would have made her uncomfortable. She is still getting used to being around a lot of people for long periods of time. Maybe I should have gone to court with her... I bet she's lonely… oh jeez I'm sorry Kristoff, this whole time I've just been talking about Elsa when I should be talking about stuff you like. Like ice or trolls maybe," she said looking guilty.

"It's alright Anna. It's understandable that you would worry about your sister. But I don't think you need to worry too much, you did send her a snowman that could make puppies look depressing," he replied with a small chuckle.

"That's true. Is it weird that I miss her already?" she asked glancing up at Kristoff for reassurance.

"I'm not sure that I am the right person to be getting advice about being normal," he said sending her a wink. "But if it makes you feel any better I always miss my family when I go harvesting. No matter how long I am gone."

The man almost dropped all of Anna's recently purchased items when she threw her arms around his waist.

"Thanks," she mumbled against his chest.

She was close enough that he could smell the lavender in her hair and it made Kristoff want to run his fingers through it to find out if it was as soft as it looked. The feeling of her small, warm body against his own sent a shiver up his spine; she fit there so perfectly. Shifting all of Anna's parcels under one arm he wrapped the other around her waist bringing her close. Slowly she tilted her head to look up at him and their eyes locked for a moment.

_Sun and stars she is beautiful. I never realized just how much I love the colour of her eyes, it's like staring into the ocean. Wow that was corny. I wonder if she would let me...?_

His eyes drifted down to her lips, but before he could make up his mind she stepped away from him. Her absence left him feeling somehow incomplete, it was like someone had removed one of his limbs and he needed it back.

Was it just him or did she look a little disappointed? No it was probably just him.

"Come help me pick out something for Elsa, I never got a chance to get her a coronation present," she said turning back toward the shops that lined the street.

* * *

_Curse the man who built this blasted chair!_

Elsa had given up trying to find a comfortable position while seated on her throne. The thing was terribly uncomfortable, with no cushioning beneath her and the back of the seat forcing her to sit ramrod straight. The queen had been listening to townspeople and nobles alike for well over three hours now and her backside was going numb. It felt as though her spine was about to snap in two and being among so many people for this long was starting to make her anxious.

The blonde had to blink few times in order to get her attention back on the representative in front of her; a tall man in his fifties, well-built and skin tanned brown from years of working in the sun. He had come to her on behalf of Arendelle's farming community. It seemed the rapid cold snap was going to have a significant impact on them this year.

"… so you see, Your Majesty, due to the recent… um… weather, most of Arendelle's crops have been lost, so our food exports will be taking a rather significant hit. However, since it occurred so early on in the summer, I think that we will still be able to get in another harvest before the end of the season and have enough stored away to feed ourselves for the winter," the man said twisting his hat in his hands and praying he had not offended the queen by bringing up the change in weather.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, kind sir. I am glad to hear that my people will not go wanting for food even if exports will be halted," she made a mental note to contact partners and warn them of this and hoped her plan regarding her new item of trade would work the way she hoped. "However, it sounds to me that Arendelle's farmers will have to endure a loss of income and I apologize for that. I hope that a reduction in taxes this season will help with this problem."

The man blinked up at her in surprise and as the realization of what she had just said sunk in, a childish grin lit up his weather beaten features. "Thank you, Majesty! You have no idea how much this means to us," he said bowing over and over again.

Elsa could feel the eyes of her royal treasurer glaring at her and could practically hear his thoughts:

_This woman is going to bankrupt the entire kingdom because she is too busy trying to be popular!_

However, the queen couldn't bring herself to care, if she had her way Arendelle would make it out of this with only minor damage, if only out of sheer force of will.

"No sir, do not thank me. It is I who should be thanking you, and all the men and women you represent. Your hard work puts food on our tables and it was high time you received the gratitude you deserve," she said with a warm smile.

"Bless you, Queen Elsa," he bowed once more before slipping back into the crowd.

There were only a few more visitors after that, a man who asked for funds to replace some livestock he had lost during the freeze, to which Elsa granted; a woman who had come to ask the queen for protection against her abusive husband; and finally a Lord from Russia who presented her with lovely furs as a coronation gift made from the pelt of a white bear. She thanked him graciously for his gift and deciding that was enough for the day, sent Kai a look over her shoulder.

Having known Elsa since birth and spending most of that time learning to anticipate her emotions, Kai was easily able to pick up on her silent message. "That will be all for today. Her Majesty would like to bid you all a good evening. All bow for Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

Standing, joints stiff from lack of use, Elsa tipped her head to the many lowered ones and slowly made her way to the exit. Once she heard the doors close behind her Elsa sank into the nearest bench and released an exhausted sigh as she felt her anxiety begin to dissipate.

Kai soon joined her and gave her warm smile. "Your father would have been so proud," he said softly.

The praise meant the world to Elsa. The queen had always looked up to her father; the way nothing ever fazed him and how he was able to command the respect of anyone with just a look. And even though Elsa knew her father loved his daughters very much she'd never felt as though he was truly proud of her.

"Thank you Kai… for everything," she said giving him a watery smile and lying a small hand over one of his large ones.

"Go and get some rest. I will come and fetch you when dinner is ready," he said after a few moments, giving her hand a gentle pat.

Elsa nodded and watched him leave, dabbing at her eyes.

 _It would be nice to go a day without crying_ , she thought to herself.

Now that thirteen years of buried emotions had been released it seemed that Elsa could barely go a few hours without crying, be it from sadness, fear, or joy.

"Psst! Psst! Elsa? Is the coast clear?"

"Yes Olaf, you can come out now," she said trying very hard to stifle the laugh that was building in her chest.

Throwing aside the velvet window curtain he had been hiding behind, the little snowman came bounding over to the young queen. Climbing up onto the bench she currently occupied and snuggling into her side.

"You were in there an awfully long time. What were you doing?"

"Well, I was listening to the questions and concerns of Arendelle's citizens."

"Was it fun?" he asked, absentmindedly playing with his stubby legs.

"Not particularly, and that wooden method of torture didn't help matters. But as their Queen it is my duty to make myself approachable."

"So you were putting their needs before your own?" he asked looking up at her.

Elsa pondered his question for a moment. "I suppose, in a manner of speaking."

"Awww that's so nice! I'm glad you love the people so much. I bet they love you too, since you're the nicest, prettiest, warmest, most loving queen ever," he proclaimed, wrapping his tiny stick arms around her waist.

Elsa couldn't have removed the smile from her face even if she wanted to. The Duke himself could have been screaming insults at her and she would have been helpless to do anything but grin up at him in joy.

"Thank you Olaf," she said returning the hug. "I was thinking of going for a walk through the palace garden before dinner, would you like to join me?"

"Absolutely, let's go!" he exclaimed, seizing her hand and dragging her toward the entrance hall.

"Slow down Olaf, it's this way."

* * *

Kristoff released a very loud yawn.

"Tired are we?" Anna asked giving him a bemused look and chuckling softly.

He bumped her softly with his shoulder. "Didn't anyone ever teach you that it is not polite to laugh at people? And yes I am thank you very much. I'm not used to sleeping in feather beds. I think I am going to have to spend tonight in the stables with Sven. Otherwise how will I ever get any beauty sleep?" he said sighing dramatically.

"Are you planning on sleeping for ten years or something?" she laughed.

"Ouch freckles," he said laughing along with her.

They spent the rest of the afternoon searching for something to give Elsa. Unfortunately, nothing was good enough in Anna's eyes. It had to be just right, something that would show her sister that Anna had put real thought into it.

"I found it! Oh this would be perfect!" the girl suddenly cried standing in front of an assortment of vibrant writing quills. The one she was pointing to was a shade of ice blue which slowly faded into white.

The man who owned the stall told her the feather came from the tail of a brilliantly coloured bird that lived in the jungle across the ocean and ate a certain kind of fruit. The girl bought it without hesitation and was practically vibrating with excitement at the prospect of seeing the look on her sister's face when she gave it to her.

"Oh, Kristoff, look! Have you ever seen anything so beautiful before?" she said holding up the newly purchased quill.

After spending the whole afternoon watching Anna be so unbelievably adorable and especially after having come so close to actually kissing her, the ice harvester wasn't exactly thinking clearly.

So he simply blurted out the first thing that popped into his head. "You're beautiful… wait, what?"

Realizing what he had just said Kristoff turned so red that if Anna wasn't currently giggling like crazy and blushing herself, she would have been worried he'd catch fire.

_Smooth Kristoff, real smooth._

Having caught her breath and seeing how embarrassed the mountain man was Anna decided to save him. "Thanks, you're not so bad looking yourself. Come on we should be getting back, I don't want Elsa to worry if we are late for dinner," she said signalling him to follow her. The man had stopped listening after her statement about his looks and could only follow in a daze.

Anna and Kristoff managed to make it to the dining hall only a few minutes after Elsa and Olaf had been seated. The princess excitedly told her sister all about going into town and how fun it was seeing all the people and looking at all the items for sale. In return Elsa gave a brief description of her day, leaving out her confrontation with the Duke.

Halfway through their meal Olaf proudly declared that he had easily completed his mission of taking care of his creator. This made the redhead blush and look to Elsa a little embarrassed. However, she was pleasantly surprised when the queen took her hand and told her just how much she appreciated the gesture.

Kristoff on the other hand spent the entire meal between staring at Anna and talking awkwardly with the queen, who seemed oddly interested in getting to know him. He did his best to impress her, knowing full well that if wanted to continue seeing Anna he had to first earn the approval of the monarch. He'd seen first-hand just how protective Elsa was of her sister so he knew that he would have to tread carefully.

Once they were done eating, the mountain man wished the royals and Olaf a good night before leaving for the stables. Evidently he wasn't joking when he'd said that he wasn't able to sleep properly in the guest bed and so decided to try his luck in the hay loft.

"So what do you want to do now?" asked Olaf as the trio left the dining hall.

"Well, I do believe I promised someone that we would do something 'magical' this evening. Any thoughts Anna?" the queen said smiling in her sister's direction.

"You bet I do," she replied grabbing Elsa by the wrist and jogging toward the palace's grand ballroom.

"Anna, please this dress was not made for running!" she cried but her words fell on deaf ears as the princess continued to drag her forward, an ecstatic Olaf close behind.

When they reached their destination the girl threw open the heavy wooden double doors and came to a stop in the center of the large room. Grinning from ear to ear Anna looked up at the blonde expectantly.

"Make it snow! Make it snow!"

"Okay but not for too long, I'm tired so-" she began but the redhead interrupted her.

"Wait you mean your powers aren't like unlimited or something?" Anna said with a confused look on her face.

"No, they… ," Elsa had to take a moment to think of a good way to explain how her magic worked. "They draw on my energy reserves just like any other form of exercise. Although my, I guess what you might call 'endurance' has improved over the years. Like I said, as I grew, so did they," she said shrugging and looking down at her hands.

"But you froze the summer, built an ice palace and a huge living snowman all in few days! That must have taken a  _ton_ of energy! And now all of a sudden you're a little tired and that might affect your powers? That makes no sense," she said narrowing her eyes at the queen.

"I have been wondering that myself. And the only answer I can come up with is that I had stored away quite a bit of magic for close to three years and I was running almost purely on adrenaline," she said shaking her head. "I don't think I could do it again."

"Hmmm, I guess that makes sense."

"Well I'm really happy it happened, because that means you were able to make me!" Olaf declared happily.

"Yes, I am happy about that too," Anna said giggling and wrapping the little snowman in one of the warm hugs he loved so much.

Watching her little sister and creation hug each other Elsa felt her chest fill with so much love and affection she was afraid she might start crying again.

_This is really getting ridiculous._

Smiling, Elsa called to the magic that flowed through her body, drawing in the moisture from the air and closing her eyes as she felt the ice gathering in her fingertips. Drawing in a deep breath the queen began to weave the glacial magic around her hands, gathering it into a condensed ball of snow as Anna and Olaf looked on in awe.

Peeking through one eyelid Elsa looked down at the pair, "Ready?"

When the two nodded simultaneously Elsa threw the ball of magic high up into the ceiling where it burst into a flurry of rapidly falling snowflakes that quickly filled the ballroom with a layer of fresh powder. Immediately, Elsa felt the effects of her little display as a new wave of exhaustion washed over her and realized she may have overdone it a little. Shaking off her fatigue the blonde turned back to the freckled girl who was currently trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue.

"How's that for impressive?" she said with a smug look on her face.

"Don't get too full of yourself," Anna snorted, a spark of mischief flashing in her eyes. "Ooo look at me I'm Queen Elsa, I erect giant palaces made of ice with a snap of my fingers and make my own clothes because I feel like it," she said in a high pitched, sing-song voice and flinging a braid dramatically over her shoulder. "Yes sir, I am a very important person, pardon me as a twirl my pretty little self over to the- umph," she grunted as something cold and wet collided with her face.

"Oh I'm sorry dear sister, I didn't see you there."

"Did you just throw a snowball at me?"

"Absolutely not, don't be ridiculous. As you so lovingly pointed out I am a q _ueen_  and queens most certainly do not throw magical snowballs at people," she said putting on her mask of calm serenity, which Anna liked to refer to as her 'Queen face'.

"Oh you are so going to pay for that," she said gathering snow in her hands. "Come on, Olaf, you're on my team!"

"Yay Anna's team! Wait, team for what?"

"Now Anna, do you really want to challenge the Snow Queen? That hardly seems fair," she said with fake seriousness.

"Charge!" Anna roared throwing snowball after snowball at her sister who made a very undignified shriek before taking refuge behind a large marble pillar and launching her own counter attack.

The girls continued to hurl snow at one another, little Olaf running around their feet refereeing the battle. Eventually, Anna was able to catch the queen and tackle her to the ground. They lay side-by-side, breathless from laughter and letting the snow cool down their overheated bodies while Olaf made snow angels.

After a few minutes Elsa stood up and helped her sister to her feet. "Alright missy, that's enough for today. Let's get you dried off before you catch a cold," she said brushing a loose strand of Anna's hair back into place.

"Yes, ma'am!" the princess replied saluting the queen.

Laughing, Elsa gave a quick wave of her hand to evaporate the snow back into the air before slipping her arm through that of her sibling's and leading her out into the hallway.

* * *

After changing into some dry clothes, the girls sat together near a large fireplace sipping hot chocolate - Olaf had decided to explore the castle.

They had opted to stay in Anna's bedroom tonight and the queen prayed that she would be able to  _actually_  sleep. The last handful of nights had left her completely drained and she didn't know how much longer she could put up with it.

They had been sitting in comfortable silence when Anna suddenly shot to her feet, almost spilling her hot beverage in the process.

"I almost forgot! I can't believe I forgot! Come on Anna, get it together," she grumbled running over to her bedside table where a pile of items Elsa couldn't quite make out, sat.

"Ah hah!" she cried triumphantly holding something in her hands.

Elsa craned her neck to see what it was but before she could the princess quickly hid it behind her back.

"What have you got there?" she asked, curiosity piqued.

"I remembered that I never got you anything to celebrate your coronation when I was in town today so…" she said moving back to the large chesterfield where the queen was sitting.

"You got me a gift?" the blonde asked, a look of utter surprise crossing her face.

"Yup! Congratulations on becoming queen, Elsa!" she exclaimed, proudly bringing the concealed object out from behind her.

Elsa breath caught in her throat as she looked wide-eyed at the most beautiful writing quill she had ever seen. The woman reached out with shaking hands and delicately picked the writing utensil up from her sister's palm. It fit perfectly in her hand and the queen couldn't help but stare at the striking colour of the feather, Elsa had no idea such a thing existed.

"I figured you could use it to sketch, you know 'cause you said you like to do that," she said smiling up at the elder girl, searching her face for any indication that she had picked the right present.

Elsa could feel the tears building up in her eyes as she continued to stare down at the quill; it was the most thoughtful gift she had ever received. "I did say that, didn't I?"

"Do you like it?" Anna asked as doubt started to creep into her mind the longer Elsa stared at her present.

_Oh no! She hates it, I knew it! Not even been together for a week and I have failed as a sister!_

"I love it," Elsa said softly her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"You do?"

"It's perfect. Thank you Anna," she said placing a soft kiss on her forehead and pulling the girl into her arms. "I love you."

"I love you too, Elsa," she replied nuzzling into the queen's neck.

"Alright young lady, time for bed," the older woman commanded taking her sister by the hand and steering her toward the four-poster bed on the opposite side of the room.

"Awww, but I'm not even tired," she protested, stifling a yawn and flopping down on the bed.

Laughing, the queen prodded the remaining logs in the fireplace in order to stifle the flames. When she was satisfied, the blonde strode over to where Anna was already curled up, blankets bunched under her chin.

"Anna, are you sure you want me to sleep here tonight? I don't want to keep you up if I… have the dreams again," she said twisting her hands together and glancing in the direction of the door.

"Elsa, stop being silly and get in here," she said not opening her eyes and lifting the sheets.

The queen hesitated for a moment before slipping beneath the covers next to her little sister who curled into her side, wrapping one arm around her waist.

"Mmm, that's better," Anna sighed. "Goodnight Elsa."

"Goodnight Anna."

"Sweet dreams."

 _I hope so,_ she thought to herself as she felt sleep tugging her mind into darkness.  _I hope so._

* * *

" _Your sister is dead, because of you!" he yelled over the howling wind, his face a reflection of her own desperation._

" _No! No, you're lying!" she screamed at him. But before Hans could respond he was swept away by the storm._

" _Elsa? Elsa, where are you? I'm so cold," came the soft voice she knew so well._

" _Anna!" she cried frantically looking for the voice's owner. "Where are you Anna?!"_

" _Elsa… Elsa… it's cold. Elsa… Elsa…"_

_Finally she saw her. The queen ran, but no matter how fast she moved the queen never seemed to get any closer._

" _I'm coming, Anna! I'm here!" she cried, trying in vain to make her legs work properly, tears burning her eyes in frustration._

_Suddenly, there she was right in front of her, alive. The girl was shivering and had her arms wrapped around her torso._

" _I'm so cold," she whispered refusing to meet Elsa's eyes._

" _It's okay Anna. I've got you," the queen soothed taking the princess in her arms, but as soon as their skin made contact the younger woman went stiff._

_When Elsa looked down her eyes flew wide with horror, Anna was encased in ice, her face twisted in an expression of absolute terror._

* * *

"ANNA!" she screamed, trying to sit upright but something heavy was pinning her down. Panic spread through her like wildfire as she began to struggle. "Anna! Where are you?" she cried trying desperately to rid herself the weight that held her to the bed; she needed to find her sister.

"I'm here Elsa, it's alright, it's not real," a voice at her ear said softly, waiting for the blonde to realize it was just a dream.

Slowly the queen stopped her struggling and pressed her ear to Anna's chest as silent sobs wracked her body. The princess had soon come to understand that the only sure way to calm Elsa after her nightmares was to let her listen to her little sister's heartbeat. It wasn't long before the redhead drifted back to sleep. Elsa, on the other hand, fought it for as long she could, terrified of what waited for her when she did.

 


	6. Chapter 6

_*Two weeks since the Great Thaw*_

"Gah, my corneas!" the redhead moaned as the sun's light streaming through the large bay window hit her straight in the eyes. Anna slammed her lids shut and waited for her eyes to adjust to the bright light.

"Elsa, I think it's time to get up," she announced sleepily. When she received no response the girl rolled over to find her sister missing. "Hmm, she must already be awake," Anna said to herself frowning. Anna knew Elsa had barely gotten any sleep as since the accident, so it concerned her that the queen was rising early as well.

Sitting up and stretching, the princess sighed happily as she felt her spine pop and muscles relax. Hopping out of bed and quickly taming the wild rat's-nest she called hair, Anna decided to go and track down her sister.

"Probably in her room, as always." Anna had noticed that Elsa still tended to drift to her bedroom regularly throughout the day. Old habits die hard.

"Hey Elsa, what do you want to do today?" Anna called as she approached the large white door that guarded the interior of the queen's chambers. God how she hated that door. It always seemed to be glaring down at her, silent and mocking. "You don't have court, so I was hoping we could do something together if you don't have, like, a billion meetings or something." She continued to dream up all the things she wanted to do with her big sister as she reached for the door handle. "Maybe we could–"

Anna was abruptly cut off when the handle of the door did not budge.

_That's odd. She promised she would keep her room unlocked from now on. What if she's… no, don't even go there._ _S_ _he wouldn't do that, she promised. Calm down, she is just changing that's all. Yeah she's changing._

"Elsa, can I come in?" she asked knocking shyly and looking up at that  _stupid_  door as her anxiety began to build.

No answer.

 _Maybe she's not in there,"_ Anna reasoned. But then she heard a very soft but distinct, thud.

"Elsa?" she tried again.

Nothing.

The princess was suddenly transported back thirteen years ago as she watched the sister she adored so much shut this very same door in her face for the first time. A wave of panic swept suddenly through her, this was becoming far too familiar; Anna on the outside, confused and pleading, Elsa on the inside, silent and indifferent.

"Elsa, please open the door, you're scaring me!" Her cries became more frantic as she pulled and jiggled the handle. Again, silence. "Answer me! Elsa, please I just got you back, don't shut me out of your life again!"

Hot, angry tears trailed twin paths down her cheeks as she pounded on the door over and over again.

"Elsa! Elsa! Open the door, Elsa! Elsa!"

_It's not true! It can't be true!_

* * *

Elsa had awoken long before the dawn, feeling just as worn as she had the night before and found the room to be coated in a very fine dusting of snow. Sitting up in bed and sighing in frustration, Elsa waved the precipitation away.

Try as she might, the young queen could not escape the terrifying images that plagued her mind each time she closed her eyes. Elsa was no stranger to nightmares. In fact, after her visit to the trolls they became quite frequent. But these were different, they felt so  _real._ The visions would often continue even when Elsa was awake and it was clear they were beginning to take their toll. She could feel her powers becoming more difficult to keep under heel as her mind and body became increasingly strained.

_I don't know if it is a good idea for Anna and I to share beds anymore…_

A soft snore caught her attention and she had to bite back the laugh that threatened to escape her lips. In her sleep, Anna had spread out to take up well over half the bed. Limbs were sticking out in all directions, hair was defying a number of physical laws and a wet spot near her mouth hinted at some possible drooling.

Moving as quietly as she could, the blonde slowly swung her legs off the side of the large bed, trying her best not to wake the sleeping princess. Shaking her head, Elsa placed a gentle kiss on her sister's forehead, causing the girl to hum contentedly in her sleep and snuggle deeper into the pillows. The queen smiled down at her fondly before padding silently over to the door and shutting it behind her with a soft click.

Going to her own bedroom, she dressed herself in a modest high collar gown; consisting of a violet bodice and skirt as well as a black, long-sleeved underdress. Then, weaving her hair back into the loose French braid she had become fond of – the tight buns she always wore in public tended to give her headaches - Elsa made her way to her study to get some work done before breakfast. But not before locking the door to her chambers so that Gerda would know it didn't require cleaning.

Settling down at her desk, Elsa began to rifle through the neatly stacked papers that littered its surface. There was so much to be done before the party and she had only a few shorts weeks to do it all in. Elsa knew it was going to be exhausting work but at least she knew it would it more than worth it; she wanted everything to be perfect for her little sister's celebration. The queen smiled as she pulled out the new writing quill Anna had given her and dove into the mountain of paperwork, eager to get most of it done before the princess woke up.

Elsa worked diligently for almost three full hours when she began to feel her eyes droop and wrist burn. Leaning against the back of her chair the queen rubbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger, fighting the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm her. She had just made up her mind to fetch a cup of tea when she heard loud banging and cries of her name coming from the royal bedchambers.

_Anna!_

Elsa ran as fast as her legs would carry her, frost erupting from each step she took.

Did the Duke send someone to hurt her sister in an attempt to get back at the queen? Did  _he_ somehow escape the dungeons? More possible scenarios flashed through her mind, each more sinister than the last. It was enough to make her run that much faster toward her sister's voice.

The blonde stopped abruptly at the sight that met her as she rounded the corner. At the end of the hallway sat the crumpled form of Princess Anna, sobbing in front of Elsa's bedroom. The blonde almost fainted with relief when she saw the girl was unharmed. However, that didn't mean Anna wasn't in pain.

And it was what Elsa heard next that nearly broke her heart.

"Elsa, are you hurting yourself? I heard what you said in your sleep, you said you wanted to… that you tried to… Elsa, please don't," she sobbed. "I need my sister, don't leave me again! If it's because you are afraid you might hurt me… I promise I will leave you alone, I will do anything you want, just  _please_ don't die!"

Elsa couldn't move, couldn't think. Anna knew. She knew the one thing that the queen had hoped to take to her grave, even more so than the secret of her powers. No one was ever supposed to know about the terrible things Elsa had thought about during her darkest times. The times when she could no longer stand the fact that her very existence put everyone around her in mortal danger, especially those she loved most. But she was never able to bring herself to do it, she was too scared and the guilt of what it would do to her family would always stop her. Besides, she suspected that her ice would have prevented her even if she had attempted to go through with such a thing.

While the queen was lost in her own dark memories, Anna had nearly reached hysterics. She had picked herself up of the floor and had begun to slam her body repeatedly against the wood, seemingly determined to breakdown the door in order to get to Elsa.

Pain lanced through her arm and shoulder with each crash but she ignored it as her desperation numbed her senses. So much so that she didn't hear her sister's voice until the queen was all but screaming.

"Anna, stop!"

The princess whirled around to see the blonde racing toward her, frost trailing after her like a glittering train. When she reached the confused girl, Elsa began to thoroughly examine the arm that had only moments ago served as a makeshift battering ram.

"Are you hurt? Is anything broken?" she asked, her voice edged in worry as her shaking hands hovered over the limb. "Anna, do I need to call the physician? Anna, say something!" She took Anna's face in her hands, searching for any sign the girl could hear her.

"B- Bu- But you're in t- there," she stuttered jerking her thumb weakly behind her.

"Anna, what are you talking about? I've been in my study all morning."

Too many emotions were swirling inside the princess, so much so that she felt her body go numb. Her thoughts came slowly and her vision had narrowed so that all she could see was her sister's concerned face. Suddenly she began to shake violently, choking back sobs as the adrenaline rushing through her system started to wear off. It wasn't long after that she felt her knees give out beneath her.

"Anna!" Elsa cried, catching the girl before she fell and holding her close. Still being mindful of her potentially injured arm.

The younger woman began to cry in earnest now. Her body collapsed in on itself as she pressed her face into the queen's shoulder. She clung to her sister with an almost violent need, hands grabbing fistfuls of Elsa's gown as the sobs tore from her throat. Every fear, every doubt Anna had buried since Elsa had come back to her came rushing to the surface and she felt herself becoming lighter with each shuddering breath.

Wrapping her arms protectively around the girl and resting her head on the copper locks Elsa waited for Anna to cry herself out. She started rubbing small circles on Anna's back and combed her fingers through her hair, content to play the supportive big sister for once.

"Shhh... shhh... it's alright. I'm here, I'm here. I'll always be here," she whispered, rocking gently from side to side.

It was a long time before Anna calmed. She had stopped crying for the most part with just a small hiccup every now and again, but she had not for one second loosened her hold on the queen. When the blonde moved to pull away the girl held on that much tighter whimpering softly.

"Anna," she said gently. "I know you are upset but you need to let go so that we can talk. I am not going anywhere. Let's just find somewhere to sit okay?"

Slowly the girl nodded before turning herself so that she was more at Elsa's side and the queen draped a single arm across the princess' shoulders. Still not fully trusting that this was real, Anna kept both arms firmly clasped around her sister's waist. Walking was a little bit difficult but they were still able to slowly make their way to the nearby library.

When they entered the room, Elsa steered the redhead to a nearby couch and eased her down to the cushions. Anna reluctantly allowed her sister to slip out of her grasp, but it took all of Anna's remaining will power to swallow a cry of pain at the loss of contact.

Kneeling down in front of her Elsa placed a cool hand on the girl's cheek and spoke very softly, as though addressing a skittish animal. "I'm going to light a fire, okay? I'm afraid you might be in shock so I need to get you warm." The queen could see the tears building up again and Anna's bottom lip was trembling as she leaned into her sister's touch. "I'll be right back."

Elsa waited for Anna to indicate she understood before slowly rising to her feet and moving to the hearth to wake the sleeping embers. The princess' eyes followed Elsa's every movement.

Once the older woman was satisfied with height of the flames, Elsa turned back to her sister who was still shivering despite the rising temperature. Grabbing a blanket from one of the nearby chairs the queen wrapped it around herself before taking a seat next to Anna and lifting her arm.

The princess needed no invitation. She launched herself at the blonde, burrowing into her side as Elsa cocooned their two bodies in the heavy cloth.

Resting her head on her sister's shoulder the redhead felt herself begin to relax.

"I'm sorry, Anna."

Anna's head shot up to find Elsa could not meet her gaze. She was terribly confused as to why Elsa would need to apologize when it was Anna who freaked out for no reason.

"What for? Y- You didn't do anything wrong," she said softly. Voice cracking from lack of use.

"I am sorry you had to find out that way... find out at all." Elsa closed her eyes and she seemed to deflate a little.

"Elsa, it's okay I- " she started before the queen interrupted her.

"No," Elsa said firmly. "No Anna, it most certainly is  _not_  okay."

The woman suddenly became very serious as she took the younger girl's hands in her own, locking her startling blue eyes onto Anna's teal ones. "Firstly, and let me make this quite clear, I have no intention of leaving you that way. Not now, not  _ever_. Those… thoughts came from a life long ago, a life without you in it. Do you understand?" she said her voice stern as she tightened her hold on the girl's hands.

Anna bowed her head, feeling ashamed that she could ever think that Elsa would do that to her. She opened her mouth to apologize but the queen seemed to read her mind and wasn't having any of it.

"Stop that right now," she said a little harsher than intended.

A little shocked by her sister's tone, Anna snapped her mouth shut and lifted her eyes once more, meeting Elsa's piercing gaze.

"Never apologize for the way you feel. Especially not to me."

The girl was about to argue but Elsa placed a finger on her lips, effectively silencing her.

"Let me finish," she said gently. "I've done you wrong, Anna. I pushed you away and kept you in the dark for a long time. It is completely understandable that you are not yet able to fully trust me and that is okay. I am more than willing to work very hard to build that trust again, and if that means letting you have Olaf trail me for the rest of my life so be it," she said, her face softening.

That earned her a small smile, which she returned before bringing their foreheads together. "From now on, I will start each and every day reminding my wonderful little sister just how much I love her. And I will tell her that I won't  _ever_  willingly leave her side again, how does that sound?" she asked bringing the girl into a warm embrace.

"I think she would like that," Anna mumbled into the crook of Elsa's neck. Sighing as she felt all her worries fade away. "Hold on, I heard you in your room," she said leaning back, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"I left my window open, something probably just blew over," the blonde said with a shrug. "Now, let's take a look at that arm shall we?"

It was then that Anna started to become aware of the throbbing pain in her left shoulder. She hadn't felt anything up until now, but now that she had been made aware of it, it seemed to amplify tenfold.

The princess hissed in pain as she slowly removed her arm from the sleeve of her night gown while Elsa watched, her face etched in worry. Already a nasty blue and purple bruise was rapidly spreading across her shoulder, beginning midway up her upper arm and reaching the base of her neck.

"Oh Anna," Elsa whispered in horror, eyes filling with tears as she ghosted her fingertips over the darkening flesh.

"I'm fine Elsa, really. See... OWW!" she yelped after trying lift her arm up above her head. She only made it about half way when someone obviously decided to stab her in the shoulder with a branding iron.

"Anna! That's it I'm taking you to the physician," she said pulling the girl to her feet.

The princess couldn't help but smile as Elsa fretted over her; pacing around the room anxiously as the royal physician - a stern looking woman with spectacles that magnified her eyes to three times their normal size - examined her. The physician assured the queen that her highness would be fine but warned her that Anna had come very close to causing serious damage. Once she was done wrapping Anna's shoulder and placing her injured arm in a sling, she instructed the princess she was not to do any heavy lifting for at least a week.

"Wait, here let me get that for you," Elsa said jumping forward to open the door for her sister. The blonde had insisted on helping Anna dress, refusing to listen when the redhead argued she didn't need any help. Secretly, Anna was ecstatic at the attention she was receiving and loved having her big sister attending to her every whim instead of spending another day trapped behind a desk.

Once they had wrestled Anna into her gown, Elsa asked Gerda to bring their breakfast to her study so that they could go over some of the celebration plans together. Once their meal had been delivered the two royals sat together on the window seat, parchment fanned out between them as they attempted to sort everything out.

"We should do something for the children," Anna said through a mouthful of egg.

"Anna, please don't talk with your mouth full, you are supposed to be a lady remember?" Elsa scolded playfully, taking a sip of her tea.

In response, Anna simply opened her mouth wide for a few seconds. Giving her sister a lovely view of the massacred meal before slamming it shut with a smirk.

Elsa was so shocked that she couldn't help but burst into fits of hysterical laughter. "Oh my God, Anna, you are absolutely barbaric," she giggled, wiping tears from her eyes and placing her teacup back on the dining tray next to them.

"What? I'm pretty sure our etiquette tutor told me that was the proper way to eat," she replied with a shrug. "Anyways, back to the party. I was thinking that we could get some performers or something to come to Arendelle and do a show for the kids. What do you think?

The queen looked thoughtful for a minute, "I think it is a wonderful idea, I'm sure there must be some talented individuals out there. I will ask Kai to send someone out to hire a few," she said nodding and scribbled down some notes.

Anna smiled when she noticed Elsa was using the quill the she given her and tried not to let it show just how happy she was that Elsa thought her ideas were good. Hoping she was on a roll the princess tried to think of any other activities the royals could prepare for the upcoming celebration.

"Hey, Elsa?"

"Hmm?" she said not looking up from the parchment.

"When we were kids what games did we play, involving your powers I mean?" she asked shyly, she knew this was still a delicate subject for Elsa.

The blonde looked up and watched as the girl pushed a half-eaten sausage around her plate unable to meet the blonde's eye. "Why do you ask?" she said a little stiffly.

"Well, I was just thinking that it might be good if people could watch you use your powers. And since you told me that I really loved seeing you do magic when I was little - I still do by the way - that maybe you could do that same kind of stuff for the kids or maybe even the adults. Just 'cause I want everyone to love them just as much as I do," she answered, watching Elsa out of the corner of her eye.

"Thank you," Elsa said earnestly. "As for our childhood games I suppose some of your favourites were building snowmen of course, sledding in the ballroom, seeing who could slide the furthest … oh and you loved it when I made you little ice figurines," she replied with a small smile as she recalled the happy memories.

"Figurines?" she asked curiously tilting her head to one side. "Show me, show me!"

Laughing, Elsa cupped her hands together and Anna watched in fascination as a soft white light emanated from between her fingers. When the queen slowly pulled her hands apart the princess felt her jaw go slack as she looked down at the miniature Sven that had materialized in Elsa's palm.

"Can I?" she asked.

When the blonde nodded Anna very carefully picked up the tiny replica with her one usable hand and brought it close to her face for a better look. The details were breathtaking; she could make out the individual hairs of his coat, even the tiny whiskers on the reindeer's nose.

It was perfect.

"Oh Elsa," she breathed. "How? It's- It's  _amazing_!" the girl looked up at her sister in absolute awe.

"I'm glad you like it," Elsa replied smiling and shook her head when the girl tried to hand it back to her. "No no, you keep it."

"Really? Thanks! Wait until I show Kristoff. He is going to freak out when I do, I bet he cries," she giggled as she thought about how he would react if she  _gave_  it to him. And then it hit her. "That's it!" she cried suddenly, causing the older women across from her to jump. "You can make these for the children! Oh my goodness this is perfect, it will show everyone how awesome your powers are  _and_  it will be a great activity for the kids. When did I become such a genius!?" she shouted gesturing wildly, almost dropping the tiny Sven before looking over at Elsa expectantly.

To her surprise the woman did not look as excited as she did, hugging her arms around her torso - Anna had learned early on was a sign the queen was feeling anxious – and staring at the floor.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just… I'm not sure I am ready for that kind of… exposure," she said hugging herself a little tighter and keeping her eyes downcast.

"I know you still aren't really used to being outside the castle yet but you can't say inside forever right? I think it will be good for you and besides, you did great during the public address. Come on, I'll be right there with you," she said bending over a little so she could force the blonde to look at her as she gave Elsa a reassuring smile.

Elsa visibly relaxed at her sisters words but couldn't help but still be a little nervous. It wasn't so much the idea of being around people – although that did still spark some anxiety - it was more the thought of publicly using her magic.

"You really think that people would enjoy seeing my powers up close?" she asked softly looking down at her hands.

"Absolutely! I mean how could they not? They just need to see all the amazing things you can do with it, like making Olaf or your ice palace…" the princess trailed off. She had a faraway look in her eyes and Elsa could see the cogs slowly turning in the young woman's mind. "Hold on to your crown Elsa, because your sister is about to blow you away with the amount of genius she possesses," she announced, practically trembling with barely contained excitement.

Elsa gave a very unladylike snort to which the princess threw her a glare. "I'm sorry, please continue with your blowing away," Elsa said, raising her hands in front of her.

"Alrighty here we go, what if, now stay with me, we were to let people go up and visit your ice palace? Before you say anything, I know it is like private and stuff but listen, it is the most beautiful thing you- no, anyone has ever made, like  _ever_. If people saw that, there is no way they would ever think your powers could be bad, no way, no sir, definitely not," Anna said nodding her head firmly and crossing her arms, at least as much as one could with an arm trapped in a sling.

"You know, it's funny... I had that very same idea," Elsa chuckled.

Anna felt her jaw go slack for a second time. She had been convinced her sister would be completely against the idea.

_Our mental synchronization… yep we are definitely sisters._

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

* _Next Day_ *

"Kristoff!"

The mountain man looked up and when he saw Anna waving at him from the stable door he put down the piece of tack he had been cleaning and waved back. Standing, he wiped the leather soap that coated his hands on a rag before walking towards her, smiling.

Anna felt her face heating up and stomach do an impressive somersault.

_Oh no. No. No. No. I can't handle this. HE ISN'T WEARING A SHIRT! WHY ISN'T HE WEARING A SHIRT!? Christ, look at his arms! It should be against the law to have that many muscles out in the open all at once. But just look at his arms! Oh my God, Anna, stop staring at him!_

Tearing her eyes away from his bared mid-drift Anna attempted to focus all her attention on a spot in the middle of the man's forehead.

"Well, good morning, your Highness. What brings you down here with the rif-raf?" he teased, laughing when she scowled at her royal title.

She stuck her tongue out at him in response.

Sorry I missed breakfast I-" His smile quickly faded when he noticed the sling. "Anna, what happened to your arm? Are you okay?" he asked, eyes full of concern and cupping her cheek in his large, callused hand to check for any other signs of injury. He'd been taking care of some business in town yesterday and not seen Anna at all that day.

She felt the familiar warmth fill her chest at his touch. "I'm fine Kristoff, just a little misunderstanding. It's a long story. Let's just say that Elsa will no longer be leaving her bedroom locked. Even when she's not in it."

It was then Anna realized how close she was standing to his exposed chest and hastily took a step back. "Maybe you should put some clothes on. There are children around here you know."

Kristoff looked down at himself and smirked. "What? It's hot in here and I didn't want to get any soap on that shirt you gave me. Why,? Like what you see?"

He watched as her eyes flickered down but immediately shot back up to that spot on his forehead when she realized he could see. He couldn't help but laugh at her expression.

"I'll take that as a- " he began, but the jest turned to dust on his tongue when he saw the queen stride into the barn behind her sister.

"Anna, have you found Mr. Bjorgman ye- Oh!"

He stood there in horror as Elsa's eyes widened a bit as she took in the sight of him.

_Great Mother Earth this cannot be happening. This is a nightmare! I am standing half naked in front of Anna's sister, the Queen for shit's sake!_

"Apparently you have," she said in amusement and raised an eyebrow. "Good morning, Mr. Bjorgman."

"I… uhh… um…" he stuttered getting redder in the face with each passing second.

_This can't possibly get any worse. Form words you idiot!_

"G- Good morning, Majesty. I apologize for my... my... this!" he stammered gestering vaguely at himself. "Excuse me while I just... I.. sorry! I'll be right back!" he said frantically running to get the shirt while mentally kicking himself for sounding like a complete fool in front one the one person he desperately wanted to impress.

"Oh my goodness Elsa, I think you broke him," Anna giggled.

"It appears I have," she laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. It wasn't polite to laugh at another person's expense. "Maybe I should wait outside, call me when you're done," she said and made her way back out of the barn.

"Where did your sister go?" Kristoff asked nervously, now fully convinced that Elsa was going to ban Anna from ever talking to him again.

"Jeez, relax Kristoff. Stop trying so hard, she already likes you y'know." Anna snickered at the man's fidgeting and lay a comforting hand on his arm.

"Wait, what? She likes me? Really?" he said in shock.

"Yeah you goober, can't you tell?" she asked walking past him and over to Sven who was sticking his head through the door of his stall trying to get her attention. She giggled when he snuffled her face, tickling her with his whiskers and eventually handed him a carrot from the large bag that hung outside his stall.

Kristoff was still staring at Anna as though she had just told him that the sun had decided to start rising in the west from now on. He was having hard time wrapping his mind around the idea that the Queen did not find him repulsive. She was so hard to read, always wearing that mask of cold indifference. How Anna was able to decode even a portion of what was going on in that mysterious woman's heads was beyond him. He was still pondering this when he realized Anna was speaking.

"Sorry?"

The redhead rolled her eyes at the distracted ice harvester. "I  _said_  that Elsa and I are going up the North Mountain today and we were wondering if you would be our guide. Elsa doesn't really remember the way, plus you'll get to see the  _Ic_ _e Palace_ ," she sang.

As if Kristoff needed to be persuaded to spend the day with Anna; she could have asked him to jump in the ice cold Fjord and he'd have done it merrily. What made him apprehensive however was the knowledge that the Queen was coming with them, that scared him out of his wits. For half a second the man was tempted to make up an excuse but a chance to see the ice palace up close was just too good to pass up. How bad could one day with Anna's sister be?

"Sure," he agreed.

* * *

"Are we almost there yet?" whined a bored Anna. Her horse snorted as she slumped in her saddle jostling his back. "Sorry boy."

The group had been riding for over an hour now and the redhead could feel the air getting colder. Here and there drifts of snow dotted the terrain. Even at the height of summer, the peaks of Arendelle's mountain range remained capped in snow.

"Elsa, how in God's name did you get up here in one night?" she asked urging her horse to trot up alongside her sister's tan mare.

It had been nagging the girl for a while now; on horseback the trip only took two hours at most, but on foot it had taken a full day – although that run in with the wolves probably set them back more than a few hours. But that still meant that Elsa made what should have been a day long journey in just a few hours.

The young queen pursed her lips at Anna's choice in language but decided to let it slide since they were well outside the palace gates. Elsa gave her sister a sideways glance before looking forward again and noticed that Kristoff, who was leading the party atop his friend's back, had turned his head slightly in her direction. It seemed he too, was curious as to how she reached the top of the North Mountain so quickly. Even Olaf who was seated snuggly behind the mountain man stared at her in rapt attention - Elsa had decided to bring him along to make sure he did not wander while she was away.

"Well…" she began slowly, bringing her horse to a stop and looking down at her gloved hands. Unlike her sister, Elsa held no fondness for riding a 1,000 lbs animal that could easily cause her serious harm if it so desired, and therefore required riding gloves to prevent blisters. It was the gloves she now played with as an embarrassed flush crept up her neck.

Looking up at the princess, Elsa was comforted by the warm smile she found, through it did little to quell her guilt. And with a sigh Elsa reluctantly proceeded with her explanation as Olaf, Anna and Kristoff stopped to listen. "I may have... and I'm not proud of this... stole a horse," she said, wincing slightly at everyone shocked expressions.

Anna was the first to recover. "You did  _what_!"

"I wasn't really thinking about what I was doing. I just knew I needed to get away as fast as possible," Elsa said sadly. "He was just tied up outside one of the inns... I didn't know what to do, I panicked!" she said, getting more and more upset. "It's not like I wanted to do it! I just didn't see any other option! I-"

Anna and Kristoff shared a look. They could see Elsa's anxiety building up to a unhealthy degree. When Elsa's horse began to shift uneasily beneath her, the redhead interrupted her sister before it could escalate any further.

"Hey, hey, Elsa it's okay. Anyone would do the same thing in your position," she soothed. "You gave the horse back right?"

The girl's comforting words pulled Elsa back to the present. "Well I just sort of let it go when I was far enough away. I assume it found its way back."

"See, there you go. No harm done."

"I suppose," Elsa replied, feeling her guilt beginning to evaporate.

"Now let's get to that castle, because I don't know about you but I am really excited to see it again." Anna said, urging her horse forward.

Giving her sister a weak smile Elsa nodded before steering her horse to the rear of their party.

As the last in line she could stay lost in her thoughts while still keeping an eye on Anna, who was now animatedly chatting with Kristoff and the snowman seated behind him. The queen couldn't help but ruminate on the mountain of work she still needed to attend to when they returned home.

Elsa shifted her weight trying to get comfortable in the leather for the longer they traveled, the more stiff she became. Elsa had chosen to ride side-saddle and it was a decision she was very much regretting.

She had been thinking of needing to speak to Kai about all of the new plans Anna had thought up for the celebration when she heard the princess' cry.

"There it is, I see it! Look up there!

Elsa looked up and there it was indeed, just as magnificent as the day she had built it. In the afternoon light the palace born from the queen's ice magic, glittered and shone like a diamond in the sun. Elsa felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her as she gazed up at the shining ramparts. To Elsa this was more than just some building she'd constructed, hastily made to protect her from the elements. It was symbol; a symbol of her freedom to use her magic without fear or judgement, a symbol that her powers were capable of more than just pain and suffering. She could create.

Race ya," Anna suddenly called digging her heels into her horse's sides and surging ahead, snow flying from under it's hooves.

"Anna!" Elsa yelled in panic as the girl disappeared from sight.

It took only a few second for Elsa and Kristoff to react, but it felt like hours to the queen. Soon both were charging after the wild princess, whose elated whoops echoed all around them.

"Wheeeeeeeeee!"

"Anna slow down, please!" Elsa screamed trying desperately to catch up with the girl.

When the princess finally did come into view she was waiting next to her steed at the bottom of the staircase that lead up to the Snow Queen's palace.

Elsa leapt from the back of her horse and strode over to the girl with deliberate angry strides, snow crunching under her boots. "Anna, don't  _ever_  do that again! What if something happened to you!? You already have one injured arm, you could have fallen, or - "

"Elsa, I'm fine," Anna said, frowning at how upset her sister was. The blonde looked close to tears. "Really Elsa. Please don't be mad… I- I thought we were having fun," she said hanging her head like a chastised child.

The queen sighed and took her sister's hand between her own. "We were, it's just… I worry about you with that sling Anna. I know you're a skilled rider, but I need you to take it easy until you are fully recovered. At least for the sake of my sanity… please?"

"I have to agree with the Queen on this one feisty-pants," Kristoff piped up as he jumped down from Sven's back before helping Olaf down. "First rule of the North Mountain,  _stick with the group_ ," he said matter-of-factly, earning an appreciative look from Elsa and a raspberry from the princess.

After conjuring a shelter and hitching post to tie up the horses, the four of them made their way inside the glittering castle.

An ecstatic Olaf ran through the open door giggling loudly and narrating everything he saw.

" -and those were the doors we came through when we first came here. Oh, there's the fountain I saw the first time we came here. Look, look there's the balcony where we saw Elsa for the first time, the first time we came here."

Anna was close behind him giggling at the snowman's commentary and sliding all around, bouncing from one room to another.

Elsa and Kristoff took up the rear, walking side-by-side each lost in their own thoughts. Kristoff was busy trying to memorize every detail, every facet of the beautiful structure. While Elsa, was revelling in the feeling of being back in her element.

She could feel the hum of the ice calling to its mistress as she strode through the entrance hall. Elsa smiled as she recalled the day she had built the palace. Of feeling the unbridled power bristling under her skin as the magic flowed from her body, into the ground, and rising into the sky at her command. Although now separated from its source the ice was still very much a part of her, intricately woven into her very soul. And the blonde knew that if she concentrated hard enough, she would be able to pour her consciousness into every crystal that made up the monumental structure.

The queen's thoughts took an unpleasant turn as the memories of fighting for her life in this very same castle flared in her mind. Had it not been for  _him,_  there was no telling whether she would have died during the encounter or instead become the very thing she had fought so long to avoid. A killer.

She was suddenly jolted back to the present when Anna grabbed her hand began to drag her up to the second landing.

"Wait, Anna," Elsa said, trying to think up a good excuse to explain the huge mess they were sure to find, that didn't involve assassins and falling ceiling fixtures. But to her never ending surprise the room was swept clean of all debris, even her defensive ice was gone. Elsa looked up to make sure that she hadn't simply dreamt the whole thing up, but the chandelier was still missing. A broken shaft was the only evidence that it had been there at all.

_Did Hans clean up before taking me back to Arendelle? No. Why on earth would he do that?_

"Come on I want to see if we can spot home from here," Anna announced pulling her sister to the balcony, completely oblivious to the Queen's confusion. However, the princess came to an abrupt halt when she heard booming footsteps and what sounded like grunting, coming from the adjoining room.

Without a second thought Elsa placed herself in front of her sister, ready to use any means necessary to keep her safe. The queen tensed her body for whatever it was, hoping her power would be strong enough to protect them. She could feel the surrounding structure reacting to her fear as the ice popped and crackled beneath their feet. With a sweep of her hand Elsa conjured three very large, very sharp stalagmites and pointed them directly to where the noises were coming from.

"What is it, Elsa?" Anna asked pressing close to her sister's back, the contact making her feel safer somehow.

"I don't know, but once I have it distracted you are to run and find Kristoff. Then you are to leave. Understand?" she said, eyes never leaving the direction of the ever approaching footsteps.

"No way, Elsa. I'm not going anywhere! I- "

She was about to argue further but the source of the sound rounded the corner with a warning growl. It lurched forward as though hindered by a limp, towering well over ten feet tall and large glistening spines rose from its broad back. Empty sockets focused on the girls and narrowed as if it were trying to decide if they meant it harm.

Anna clutched the queen's gown tightly as she recognized the snow golem... Although, this time it looked much more menacing, for this time it had claws and fangs made of jagged ice. Someone had obviously angered the snowman with more than just a snowball since she'd last seen it.

" _Mama?_ "

Both women started at the voice. It was deep and rumbling, like the sound of an avalanche crashing down a mountain's slopes. The golem took a step forward and all at once the threatening spines, teeth, and claws shrunk away as a huge grin spread across his face.

"Did that thing just call you mama?" Anna snorted, bursting into fits of laughter.

"It would appear so," Elsa said cautiously lowering her defensive spikes. "Um… hello," Elsa greeted, unsure of how much the creature understood. However, her voice seemed to further excite the creation as he shuffled a little closer and extended a hand down to her.

"I think he wants you to sit in his hand," Anna prompted.

"Oh I don't think - "

But Elsa never got a chance to finish her objection as she was shoved from behind to stumble into the waiting palm. Before she could compose herself the queen felt the ground shift beneath her and had to sit in order to prevent herself from falling as the golem brought her close to his face.

" _Mama?_ " he asked again, icy breath blowing strands of hair loose from the blonde's plait.

"Yes, um… I suppose I must be. Did you clean up in here?" she inquired gesturing to the lack of shattered ice and smiled when he nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, well thank you," she said reaching up and giving him an appreciative pat on his chin.

"Sweet mother of reindeers, not that thing again! Anna, run! Don't worry Queen Elsa, I'll get you down from there!" hollered a frantic Kristoff who had run up to see what was causing all the commotion. He quickly jogged over to a still giggling Anna and took out one of his pick axes to use as a weapon.

Olaf on the other hand, had other ideas as he ran over to the feet of the now growling snow giant who was clutching his creator close, shielding her from the possible threat. "Brother!" he called, waving to get the other living snow creature's attention.

"It is alright Kristoff," Elsa assured. "He isn't going to harm me. Put me down please," she commanded calmly. The giant slowly lowered Elsa to the ground, glaring at Kristoff all the while. "Thank you. It's okay, these are my friends. This is my sister Anna, her friend Kristoff, and Olaf… who is a lot like you actually," she said gesturing to each of them respectively.

"Hi there, brother!" Olaf giggled, wrapping his twig arms around one of the golem's enormous legs.

Anna waved up at him while Kristoff simply continued to eye the giant apprehensively. The snowman grunted a greeting before picking up Olaf to examine him further.

"Does he have a name?" Anna asked hopefully.

"I don't think so," Elsa responded, looking up at her two magically forged creations thoughtfully. "Any ideas?"

"His name is Marshmallow," Olaf announced as the giant placed him back down on the floor.

"How do you know that?" asked Kristoff, crossing his arms. He had yet to see any similarities between the fluffy treat and this monster.

"Because he is a big softy of course!" exclaimed the little snowman as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Do you like that name?" Elsa asked the massive snow creature.

" _Yes mama,_ " he rumbled happily.

"Sorry I threw a snowball at you before, Marshmallow. No hard feelings?" Anna asked and grinned up at him when he nodded. "You know Elsa, I'm no expert but if we are going to open up your castle to the public I'm pretty sure our friend here is going to give some people quite the scare."

"Hm, good point. Let's see, what shall I do with you?" she thought aloud. The queen seemed to reach some sort of decision because she suddenly began to weave her hands through intricate patterns in front of her. Swirling and casting her magic so that glittering snowflakes danced around the giant, surrounding him completely. Slowly, Marshmallow began to shrink. And once he had reached a more agreeable size, one that was less likely to send people fleeing in terror – about a head taller than Kristoff - Elsa stopped. Her chest heaved and sweat dotted her brow from the amount of effort it had taken to work her magic.

"There," Elsa said between breaths. "That is *breath* much better *breath*. Marshmallow, would you be able to take care of the palace while I am away and show people around two weeks from now? Just for the day that is," she asked laying a hand on Marshmallow's arm.

Anna frowned when she noticed the woman's face had drained of colour.

"Elsa are you okay? You look a little pale, and I mean paler than usual pale. Not that you look sickly or anything, you just have pale skin, which isn't a bad thing, it's just - "

"Anna," the older woman interrupted, smiling.

"Yeah?"

"I'm fine, thank you. Why don't you, Olaf, and Marshmallow here go and see if you can find anything I need to repair or add as decoration," she suggested.

All previous concerns forgotten, Anna snapped to attention. "Challenge accepted! C'mon guys," she called sprinting from the room.

"Wow, you really know how to stop a ramble in its tracks," Kristoff chuckled shaking his head as he watched the adorable redhead slide out of sight, the two snowmen hot on her heels.

"Yes well, it seems Anna has not changed much since we were children in that regard," she said smiling after the girl. Then, turning back to the man her expression became more serious. "Thank you for bringing her back to me, Mr. Bjorgman."

The sincerity in her voice caused him to blush and he shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "Oh, well it was no problem really. And please, call me Kristoff," he said rubbing the back of his neck as she nodded. "Besides, Anna has a way of making you drop everything and do whatever she needs."

Elsa laughed at that, pressing a delicate hand to her lips. "Yes, she does seem to possess a certain talent for that sort of thing doesn't she?" Elsa agreed.

The two had begun a slow circuit of the room, and for a few minutes walked in comfortable silence. Elsa, repairing any chips and cracks in the ice while Kristoff observed, captivated by her ability to bend the frozen crystals to her will. Spellbound, Kristoff watched as the ice bordering a rather large fissure in the wall liquefied and spread over the gap, sealing it once more. Never being good with words, Kristoff simply said the first thing that jumped into this mind.

"Wow."

"Thank you, I'm glad you like it," she said. It was nice to be around someone who didn't view her powers as frightening; that job was usually reserved for Anna.

"Like it? It's amazing," he said running his gloved hand over the now smooth surface.

"Anna tells me that you became rather… overwhelmed the first time you came here," the queen said as a sly grin tugged at her lips.

When the man realized that the Queen of Arendelle had just informed him she knew he had come exceptionally close to tears upon laying eyes on her magnificent ice palace two things flashed through his mind. One, he was going to need to have a 'chat' with Anna when he found her and two, there was a good chance that he was going to melt a hole in the floor with all the heat that was radiating from his face.

"I – well – you see – about that – I - " he sputtered, desperate to think of something, anything to say that wouldn't make him sound like a complete fool.

Kristoff was seriously considering jumping off the balcony when he noticed the woman was giving him an amused look and he quickly realized she was teasing him. Once he came to this realization the mountain man couldn't help but form a grin of his own.

"Well, as someone whose life quite literally revolves around the stuff I have become attached to it," he said with a shrug.

"I suppose I can relate to that," Elsa replied with a chuckle and resumed their stroll around the castle once more.

"Have you been an Ice Harvester long?" she asked after a few moments.

"Yes your Majesty, almost my whole life in fact. The trolls weren't the only ones who raised me. The local ice harvesters taught me how to survive on my own when my parents died and helped me learn how to make a living," he explained, remembering how worried Bulda had been when he finally decided to return to the ice.

"Is there a high demand for ice here in Arendelle?"

"In the summer yes, but work is much harder to come by during the winter months. Most people can gather their own ice once the fjord freezes," he said. "However, the ice we collect from the mountains is the highest quality for leagues, so it is a pretty high commodity for the nearby kingdoms year-round."

"And you sell your ice to Arendelle which in turn sells that ice to our neighbouring nations. Is that correct?" she asked, absentmindedly producing a few benches.

"That's right," he replied, impressed at her knowledge of the topic. But he supposed as ruler Elsa would need to be well versed in the kingdom's affairs. That being said, Kristoff was still a little unsure as to why the Queen would show any interest in his line of work.

She seemed to sense his confusion. "I am in the process of developing a new form of trade, which I am hoping may solve some of the… financial problems that our kingdom may be facing in the coming months," she explained. "And since it involves our ice exports, I believe that someone such as yourself, who is well versed in the subject, might be able to help me," Elsa said turning to face Kristoff so she could speak to him properly, hands folded neatly in front of her.

"I'll do what I can, Majesty," he replied, apprehensive he could provide any kind of useful advice.

She simply nodded appreciatively and continued, "Well as I'm sure you've noticed, the ice under my control is quite a bit different from its natural counterpart. The most glaringly obvious distinction being that it can withstand heat for a lot longer than your average ice," she stated. "My idea is a rather simple one: I sell my ice. It will be much easier to transport to distant nations and will last much longer than what we are currently selling. This would both broaden our market and I am willing to bet some would pay rather handsomely for a product such as this. What do you think?"

He thought about her proposal for a moment. He had to admit it had merit, people would most definitely be willing to pay more for ice that didn't melt within days of purchase and that would mean Arendelle could transport perishable goods much further. Plus, the fact that it was magical would probably draw folks to it. There was only one problem, "I think you are trying to put me out of business, Majesty," he said, grinning.

She smiled back at him, surprised at just how comfortable she was becoming around the Ice Harvester. Maybe it was because she could see just how much he cared for Anna or maybe it was the way he all but worshipped her powers. Whatever the reason, Elsa found herself thinking that they may one day become very good friends.

"Fortunately, I have considered that little detail. Although not a poor kingdom, there are those here in Arendelle that may not be able to afford a rise in price and I must consider their needs as well. So I don't believe you or your fellow harvesters shall go wanting for work, Mr. Bjorgman," she said.

"Kristoff," he corrected.

"Apologies… Kristoff," she amended. "Additionally, I will not be able to conjure individual orders, it would simply be too time consuming. Instead I think the more practical option would be to produce a very large quantity and hire a select few individuals to distribute the ice accordingly," she finished, rather pleased with her foresight.

"Hmm, well it seems as though you've thought of everything. Anna was right, you are really smart."

Elsa felt herself blush at the compliment. "Anna talks about me?"

"Are you kidding, you're  _all_  she talks about. You're like her hero or something," Kristoff replied earnestly.

The queen absolutely lit up at his words. Warmth bloomed in her chest and she felt happy tears prick the back of her eyes.

_Whoa, hold on! I'm making the Queen cry! Shit, what do I do!?_

But as quickly as the tears had come Elsa forced them away, deciding she was not quite  _that_  comfortable with Kristoff. Instead she decided to change the topic, "Well I know Anna cares a great deal for you as well."

It took all her strength not to laugh at the wide-eyed expression on Kristoff's now beet-red face. "It is alright Kristoff, no need to be embarrassed. You seem like a very nice man and I can see that you make her happy," Elsa said giving him a reassuring smile. "Although, I hope you realize that should you hurt my sister in any way, you may no longer see my powers in such a positive light. Anna is my quite literally my everything… but I'm sure you already knew that," she said nonchalant.

Part of Kristoff knew she was just teasing him. But the other half, the half that kept reminding him of Elsa's face when she had advanced on Hans, knew that Elsa was deadly serious.

"I do."

"Hey you two, I'm back. Whatcha talking about?" Anna called skipping through the entryway and sliding over to the pair. Elsa braced herself to catch the enthusiastic princess but to her surprise Anna came to a stop right in front of her.

"Oh, just exchanging some friendly advice," Elsa replied flashing Kristoff a smile, that in Anna's opinion, seemed a little suspicious.

The redhead narrowed her eyes at her sister. "What kind of advice?"

"Oh, you know just boring ice stuff. Nothing you would be interested in," Kristoff interjected, grinning down at Anna who pouted in response.

Anna decided there was something the two weren't sharing with her and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. The princess didn't like feeling like the odd man out, but at the same time she was ecstatic that her two favourite people were getting along.

"Where are Olaf and Marshmallow?" Elsa asked before Anna could drill the pair further. "Have you misplaced my snowmen?"

Ever the proper lady, Anna stuck her tongue out at Elsa. "No," she replied smugly, placing a hand on her hip. "Marshmallow said he needed to get something and Olaf went with him. They should be up soon. Also your palace looks fine, nothing to repair and there isn't much furniture anywhere, which might be a good thing. No one can steal stuff."

It was then that the two snowmen emerged from the far-side of the chamber; Olaf waddling as fast as his little legs would allow, and Marshmallow limping behind him. It suddenly occurred to Elsa that she still didn't know when he'd acquired the injury and made a mental note to fix it before she left.

"Elsa! Elsa! Look what Marshy found." Elsa smiled at the nickname and raised an eyebrow, giving the little snowman a questioning look.

Once he'd hobbled over to his mistress, Marshmallow extended a single arm out to her. " _Mama?_ " When he opened his hand she was surprised to see it held something Elsa thought she would never see again.

"My crown."

Elsa reached out and gingerly took the solid gold tiara from the snow golem, her mouth set in a hard line. Memories of tossing it away and vowing to never return to the life she'd left behind flooded her mind. How she had abandoned her family and shirked her responsibilities in an attempt to protect her kingdom.

 _A lot of good that did anyone_ , she thought bitterly.

Anna watched the barrage of emotions flashing across the young queen's face as she stared down at the crown in her hands. She was also quick to notice the very small tendrils of frost growing beneath her sister's fingers, a clear indication Elsa was upset. "Why don't you let Marshmallow keep it? I mean, it's not like you really need it anymore, the one you made suits you much better," she said hoping it wasn't some family heirloom or something.

A grateful smile lit up Elsa's features at Anna's suggestion. "What do you think, Marshmallow? Would you like to keep it?"

The sound that emanated from the larger snow creature was partway between a roar and shriek of joy. Elsa soon found herself being lifted off the ground as Marshmallow had enveloped his creator in a bone crushing embrace. Arms pinned to her sides, the queen could feel the air being forced from her lungs and her ribcage shifted painfully.

Olaf clapped and hopped back and forth at the affectionate display but Anna and Kristoff were a little less enthusiastic, both yelling frantically at the snowman to release the Queen. In the end it was Elsa herself who had to coax him to put her down. The second her feet touched the ice Anna rushed to her sister's side to make sure Elsa was okay.

Once the older woman convinced the princess there was no harm done she decided it was about time they headed back to Arendelle. But before they did, Elsa remembered to repair Marshmallow's injury, which apparently had been caused by 'a bad man' that the blonde could only assume meant Hans. Of course this brought up a few questions on Anna's part which Elsa did her best to deflect, promising they would discuss it later.

Just thinking of the Prince caused the ice in the queen's veins to stir restlessly, but it also reminded her that she had yet to repair the beautiful ice chandelier that had been her pride and joy. It had been the most complex piece in her palace before its untimely demise and although the logical part of her tried to reason that she did not have enough strength for the endeavor she decided she wanted to make a new one.

Asking the others to give her some space Elsa called upon the last of her dwindling energy to wield her magic. She focused on keeping her breathing steady as she reached out with her mind until she could sense every drop of water that made up her palace. Once she located the shaft, Elsa pushed her magic through her palms into the floor, willing it to climb to the spot where she had focused all of her attention. She could feel the sweat beading on her forehead and her limbs growing weak as she strained to maintain control. Once she felt her power reach its destination she simply asked it to spread and expand the frozen crystals into the hundreds of geometric shapes that had made up the original fixture.

Throughout the entire process, Anna's eyes never left her sister and she was not happy with what she saw. Anna could tell this was too much for the queen and was willing to bet that Elsa knew this too, even if she was too proud to admit it. It was clear in the way her arms and legs shook as she worked. As well as the damp stain on her back; Elsa's lack of sleep had left her completely drained.

Kristoff, however, could not tear his gaze away from the incredible sight that was happening right before his eyes. It was indescribable the way she was able fashion such a beautiful creation, just with ice. It was like music. Music she was weaving into something tangible, something you could see and touch.

 _If only I had half her talent. I would be able to make_ real _ice sculptures._  He thought as he recalled his old hobby.  _Maybe I can ask for some lessons or something._

He was broken from his reverie when he saw a flash of red fly past him. Anna had rushed over to her sister in order to offer some support. The Queen looked as though she were ready to faint.

"I'm fine," she said waving the princess away and taking a step forward. "I'm fin- Oh!"

Walking had clearly been a mistake as all her limbs had turned to jelly and her head was suddenly spinning. Just as her legs gave out Kristoff shot over and took over for Anna, holding out a large arm for her to grip.

"Okay... maybe not so fine," she said with a sheepish grin.

"Well, if you didn't have to be such a show off Kristoff wouldn't have to practically carry you. Sometimes you can be so stubborn Elsa I swear. How on earth are you going to ride a horse?" Anna scolded, throwing her arm in the air dramatically.

"Calm down Anna," Kristoff laughed, causing her to send him a glare. "I guess you will just have to ride will me, your Majesty," he said letting her lean heavily against him.

"Kristoff please," she replied with a grin. "Call me Elsa."


	8. Chapter 8

_*Three weeks since the Great Thaw*_

There was no doubt about it; the queen was miserable.

Her back ached from sitting hunched over her desk, her wrist burned from signing her name hundreds of times and she could feel the headache building behind her eyes, pulsating with each blink.

Elsa was so tired she could barely think straight. If she moved too quickly her head would swim and her stomach would churn so that each time she accidentally snapped her head up to check the time it was all she could do not to retch. She'd simply breathe deeply through her nose and grip the edge of her desk tightly as she rode out the nausea.

The queen had even been forced to start wearing her gloves again after freezing her morning tea when she was startled by Anna dropping her fork during breakfast. Elsa's powers had become infuriatingly erratic and even the gloves did little to help.

It was embarrassing.

Elsa found that the longer she went without a proper sleep, the more her concentration became increasingly frayed and the young queen knew she desperately needed rest. It had now been three weeks since the nightmares began and her strength was dwindling at an alarming rate, but her fear was too great.

Last night's terror had been particularly awful as she'd been forced to watch as her sister slowly froze to death. All the while, Anna kept asking why Elsa hated her so much, what had she done wrong? The blonde could only look on, screaming and crying, her own ice binding her feet to the ground.

Hans had then come at her from behind. She remembered the blinding pain as she'd looked down to find a blade protruding from her stomach, but even more vividly she remembered the fear. The fear that had coursed through her veins as he'd whispered,  _long live the queen_.

Elsa unconsciously placed a hand to her abdomen where the sword had impaled her and shook her head, attempting to banish the horrifying images.

"Boo!"

Elsa jumped in her seat, effectively icing her desk and almost snapping her writing quill in half.

"Bloody hell, Anna! Don't  _ever_  do that again!" she shouted rounding on the princess, whose playful grin quickly died at her sister's reaction.

Anna had never heard her sister swear before and she had never had Elsa glare at her as she did now, not even when they were estranged.

"Sorry Elsa, I didn't think- "

"That's  _right,_  you didn't think. I could have hurt someone!" she growled trying to will the ice away. When it refused to obey Elsa swore again, throwing her quill down angrily and shoving her body forcefully back in her chair. The woman closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing and not the pounding in her head.

Anna was hurt by her elder sister's words but tried not to take them to heart, she knew the queen was not well and silently scolded herself for sneaking up on her like that.

The redhead took a closer look at the woman seated before her; the blonde had dark circles under eyes and looked thinner than usual. Her usually flawless ivory skin had an almost greenish tinge to it.

"Elsa, are you okay?" she asked softly.

"I'm fine Anna," she replied unconvincingly, not opening her eyes.

"Are you sure? You don't look- "

"I said I'm fine!" Elsa snapped, opening her eyes and fixing the princess in her icy stare.

"I was only trying to help, you don't have to be rude," she bit back, becoming annoyed. "I'm just worried about you Elsa. You are working too hard and you haven't  _really_  slept in weeks. I also don't remember you eating anything at breakfast and I can see you haven't had any lunch," she said gesturing to the untouched tray of food across the room. In truth Elsa hadn't been eating for last few days, but she chose to keep that to herself. "Come on, you need to take a break," she said firmly before taking her older girl's arm in her hand.

Elsa quickly wrenched her arm free from her sister's grip, "I don't have time for a break, Anna. I have too much work to do. Unlike  _you_ , I have responsibilities," she said turning back to her desk and trying once again to summon the ice back to her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Anna demanded angrily.

"It means," she said with a condescending air that caused Anna to bristle with indignation. "That while you get to run off with Kristoff and do as you please, I am trapped in this blasted room signing trade agreements until my fingers bleed," Elsa snarled before giving up on de-icing her desk and standing abruptly.

"That's not fair, Elsa. It isn't my fault I don't have the same responsibilities as you do.  _You're_  the Queen and I'm just the princess, remember," she shot back. " _You're_ the one working yourself to death and  _you're_ the one who is too proud to let anyone help you, so don't take your frustration out on me."

"Well, maybe I wouldn't be so prone to snapping at you if didn't act like such a child all the time. Honestly Anna, don't you think you are a little old to be sneaking up on people," Elsa replied haughtily; it was enough to make Anna want to throw something at the woman.

"Oh well my apologies,  _Your Majesty_ ," she drawled. "Not all of us can be as perfect as you."

Elsa scoffed at that. "Perfect. And exactly what about the Sorcerer Queen is perfect, hmm? The thirteen years spent fearing the day she'd accidentally kill someone because she sneezed too hard? Or is it the part where she was too weak to show her face at her own parent's funeral? Oh no, it must be the fact that she can barely look at herself without seeing the monster who almost murdered her own sister, right? So go ahead, Anna, tell me how I'm perfect, because I for one, don't see it," Elsa growled, each word dripping in distain.

"Don't talk to me like that, Elsa! Don't talk to me like you are the only one who has suffered the last thirteen years. You just started ignoring me out of the blue, with no explanation, and I thought it was because of me, because of something I'd done. Do you have any idea what that's like? I spent my entire life believing my only sister hated me!" Anna yelled, tears brimming in her eyes.

Elsa looked as if she'd been struck; how could Anna throw that back in her face? "I did all of that for you, Anna! To keep  _you_  safe, to protect  _you_!"

"Oh and so that means everything I went through isn't important!?" she yelled, injured shoulder aching from her wild gesturing.

The two were now standing in the center of the large study facing each other; hands balled into fists and faces flushed in anger. Neither however, had noticed the dip in temperature and frost forming under Elsa's slippers. Or if they had, they were simply too mad to care.

Exhaustion forgotten and blood boiling, Elsa could feel her pulse pounding in her ears. The queen could not remember the last time she'd been this furious. She wanted to scream, she wanted to throw things, but most of all she wanted to stop. The royal sisters had never fought like this before and Elsa hated being angry with Anna, seeing the hurt on the girls face caused her physical pain. Elsa had not felt emotions this strong since the news of her parents death. It was overwhelming, all encompassing, and it threatened to consume her.

It was then that Elsa felt it; that familiar pull deep in her abdomen before she… shivered. Elsa was cold. And there was only one thing that caused Elsa to feel cold.

_No. No, no, no, no! Not again, these were supposed to st… Oh God Anna!_

"Anna, get out," she said eyes wide with terror.

"HOW DARE YOU!? DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME TO LEAVE! NOT AFTER EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN THROUGH! DAMN IT ELSA, STOP PUSHING ME AWAY FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE," Anna roared, absolutely beside herself with fury.

"Anna, no. You- You don't understand. I'm having another epi- Ahhhhh!" Elsa cried, doubling over in pain as she fought to prevent her icy magic ripping from her body.

Anna watched in shock as the queen sank to her knees clutching her stomach, frost spreading quickly beneath her. For a few moments time seemed to stand still, the only sound coming from the blonde's laboured breathing. "Elsa?" she called timidly.

The queen's head shot up at her sister's voice and when their eyes met Anna felt her blood run cold. Her once beautiful cerulean eyes had clouded over to become a sharp, pure white that reflected the storm raging within. And Anna suddenly realized that very storm was about to burst forth, the dam that contained Elsa's power had broken and she was standing right in its path.

"GET OUT!" Elsa screamed once more, desperate to make Anna understand. She had to leave and she had to leave now. Elsa could feel the last of her control slipping away, and soon all the love in the world would not be able to save her sister from her magic's fury.

The princess hesitated for just a second, she wanted to run to her sister, hold her, tell her everything would be okay, but the panic on Elsa's face made her think twice. Anna locked eyes with the queen and tried to convey all of this to the woman before tearing her gaze away and bolting for the door.

The moment Elsa heard the door shut she knew she couldn't hold on any longer. She finally released the last remaining control she'd managed to keep up until now and tried to brace herself for what was coming.

Something inside her snapped and Elsa screamed.

* * *

Anna couldn't take it. Each time one of her sister's blood curdling screams reached her ears the princess could feel bile rising in her throat and fresh tears sprang to her eyes. The redhead was kneeling in front of the study trying not to fall apart, but it was becoming increasingly difficult the louder Elsa's cries became.

"AHHHH!"

"ELSA?! Elsa, it is going to be okay! You are going to be fine! I'm right here, I'm right outside the door!" Anna sobbed. "You're so strong, so brave, you're going to be okay, Elsa!"

"Anna?"

The princess whirled around at the unexpected voice to find Gerda standing behind her, worry etched in the lines of her thin face. At the sight of the woman who had been like a second mother to the royal sisters, Anna let out an anguished cry and ran into the matron's outstretched arms.

"Gerda, I don't know what to do, it's all my fault. She is in there all alone and she's -"

Another stomach churning scream interrupted the girl, causing Anna to squeeze her eyelids shut and bury her face into Gerda's chest. She could feel the older woman rubbing her back affectionately and hushing her softly, but it did little to stop the girl's trembling.

"She will be okay, princess. Our Elsa is a strong girl. I have witnessed a great deal of these and I'm afraid all we can do is wait," she soothed and griped Anna tighter when the queen cried out once more. What she had failed to mention however, was that in all the episodes Gerda had witnessed Elsa had never, not once, made a sound.

The pain that tore through Elsa's body was like nothing she had ever experienced before. It had hurt that day she learned of her parents death, oh yes, but it was nothing compared to this. Every muscle was straining to its limit with each powerful thrust of magic, to the point where she could feel things tearing. It felt as though someone was peeling back her skin layer by layer, flaying her alive, leaving every inch of her muscle and sinew exposed. Elsa'a flesh had become so unbelievably cold that her clothing froze stiff, cracking and splitting around the seams, rendering her immobile.

She was in such pure agony that it was quickly becoming too much to bare. Her power erupted from her body in waves and with each wave, her suffering rose to a new height.

Elsa had lost all concept of time; it could have been minutes, hours or even days. All she knew was pain, and when it seemed as though she would be driven mad with it, all at once it began to subside. The queen could have wept in relief, but the tears froze before they could fall. Every so often an aftershock would wrack her body but they were mere tickles compared to the torture she had just endured.

It was then she realized a voice was speaking to her. Without the immense pain clouding her senses Elsa was finally able to hear again.

"Elsa? Elsa, I am here," the voice called from somewhere far away. "You are going to be alright. I'm waiting just outside the door. Just focus on my voice and not the pain. You can get through this… I love you Elsa."

_Anna. She is safe… She is safe… She is safe…_

That was her last thought before Elsa slipped into nothingness.

* * *

It had been almost an hour since Elsa's screams fell silent and Anna was pacing in the hallway like a caged animal. The need to see to see her sister was overwhelming, like an itch she couldn't scratch, but the door was frozen shut and no amount of body slamming was going to open it.

"It must be thawed enough by now," Anna said looking to the crowd of people standing across from her.

Kai, along with Kristoff had joined Anna and Gerda when they heard the commotion. Some palace guards had come rushing in as well but they had been quickly sent away. Kristoff had done his best to comfort Anna but she is was in such distress that she couldn't sit still - then again the princess could barely keep still at the best of times.

The pleading look on Anna's face was enough to cause a tightening in Kristoff's chest.

"I'll try again," he said taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze before standing in front of the study door once more. Anchoring one foot to the floor the mountain man drove his heel into the wood with all his might. Leaning into the kick, the man took special care to aim as close to the lock as possible, where the concussion would be most effective.

_*CRACK*_

The door shuddered under the force of Kristoff boot and tiny slivers of ice fell from the doorframe, dusting the carpet below.

Anna stepped forward, eyes hopeful. "Did it work?"

"Only one way to find out," Kristoff replied as he slowly pushed on the handle, gritting his teeth against the burning cold of the metal.

With a sharp tug, the door snapped opened stiffly and they were met with a wall of blisteringly cold air that almost took Anna's breath away. The princess cautiously stepped into the room and once her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting she gasped at what she found.

Elsa's study had become an arctic wasteland. Every square inch of the room was coated in thick layers of snow and ice. Paper and broken pieces of furniture lay strewn about the chamber, frozen to ground where they had fallen. Razor sharp icicles hung threateningly from the ceiling as if waiting to impale anyone who was foolish enough to pass beneath them.

Anna's eyes swept across the damage and eventually fell to the spot she had last seen her sister before fleeing to safety. Like the glistening fangs of some great beast, massive spines of ice rose up to form a perfect circle, and in its center lay the queen.

"Elsa!" Anna cried as she ran to unnervingly still form of her elder sister. The woman was lying in the fetal position caked in her own frost. It gave her an almost other-worldly appearance as her clothing, hair, and skin shimmered with the fine ice crystals. Looking closely at the blonde's face Anna could see tears frozen in the corners of Elsa's eyes, but at the same time the queen looked strangely peaceful, her lips even held the ghost of a smile.

"Elsa wake up! She isn't breathing! Oh God, Elsa please wake up!" the princess sobbed trying to take Elsa's head into her lap but the bitter cold bit at the skin on her hands causing Anna to yelp in pain.

"Don't touch her yet without the blankets dear, she'll still be too cold."

Gerda, Kai, and Kristoff were at her side in seconds. The two servants took the lead, having the most experience with this particular kind of situation while Kristoff held a frantic Anna. As Kai began layering Elsa in blankets Gerda placed her ear just above Elsa's slightly parted lips.

After a few agonizing seconds she sighed in relief, "She's breathing, but only just."

Kai nodded in response. "We need to get her out of this room; we need to get her warm."

Without hesitation Kristoff carefully scooped the queen into his arms despite the burning cold and stood, he was shocked to find how light she was. The fabric of her dress crunched under his touch and he was suddenly very glad for the blankets, as it felt as though some of the cloth had split from her body. Being mindful of the sharp spikes the Ice Harvester followed Anna as she led him to the queen's bedchamber.

* * *

The room quickly became a flurry of activity as everyone rushed to complete separate tasks. Kai started a roaring fire that heated the room to an almost uncomfortable degree. Kristoff had placed Elsa on her bed as gently as he could and then left to help the manservant find more blankets. Gerda and Anna struggled to strip Elsa of her icy clothes in order to dress her in something warm and dry. The handmaid then took a bowl of heated water and a wash cloth and began to dab at the woman's face and hair, helping to bring warmth back to Elsa's body.

"Here, let me," Anna said moving to her sister's side and sitting on the edge of the bed.

The older woman smiled before handing her the cloth. "I am going to make your sister some tea for when she wakes, call if you have need of me princess," she said making her way to the door. Anna gave her a small nod, not looking up as she dabbed at the queen's forehead.

Through all of the noise and jostling the queen did not wake. She had fallen into an incredibly deep sleep. It was almost like her body was somehow repairing itself. As Anna watched her sister's chest rise and fall steadily with each breath she felt all her resolve melt away and frustrated tears build up once again.

"Oh Elsa, I am so sorry, this is all my fault. I don't know what is wrong with me I just can't seem to stop messing everything up. First the coronation, now this? I knew you weren't doing well and I knew you were struggling with your powers because of it, but I pushed you anyway… I am so, so sorry," Anna whispered allowing the tears to spill from her eyes and brushing Elsa's bangs off her forehead.

"Hey."

Anna turned to find Kristoff standing behind her holding a few more blankets, which he placed at the foot of the bed.

"Anna, don't blame yourself for what happened. From what Kai told me, it was most likely the exhaustion more than anything else that caused this. It was going to happen one way or another, anyone could have set her off," he said gently, kneeing down in front of her and wiping away her tears.

The princess moved her head to look down at Elsa's peaceful expression. "But it wasn't anyone, it was me. I always seem to be the reason she loses control."

"But you are also the reason she is able to have  _any_  kind of control. Anna, you helped her learn to stop fearing herself, but from what you've told me her night terrors are bringing up a lot of old fears. You take that, combine it with the lack of sleep and it is no wonder she lost control. It's not your fault."

Smiling Anna pulled him into a tight hug that Kristoff eagerly returned. He hated when Anna belittled herself and wished she could see herself the way he saw her; beautiful, kind, fearless, smart, and above all, fiercely loyal to those she loved.

"Thank you," she said.

"Anytime freckles. Anytime."

* * *

Elsa slowly drifted in and out of consciousness. Throat raw, muscles aching, head pounding, and stomach churning, as she struggled to form proper thoughts. Her mind was sluggish and slow, so that when she finally opened her eyes it took a long time to process where she was. Eventually she was able to deduce that she was lying in her bed, in her room, but she had no idea when she got there or even  _how_  she got there. The last thing she remembered was feeling terrible and then she was fighting, fighting with…

_Anna!_

A soft murmur caught her attention and she slowly turned her head in the direction of the noise. In a chair next to the bed sat a sleeping Anna; her head lolled to one side and Elsa glanced down to find one of her hands resting next to one of her own, as if she had tried holding Elsa's hand.

"Anna," she croaked, wincing at the pain in her throat. It felt as though she had swallowed broken glass.

The girl stirred but did not wake. Elsa tried again, a little louder this time. "Anna." When she still did not open her eyes, the queen reached out and took her sibling's hand in her own and gave it a firm squeeze, calling her name one more time.

"Hmm? Who is it?" Anna asked, eyes still shut.

"It's me sleepy head, wake up," Elsa said grinning.

Anna bolted upright so fast that she almost fell right out of her chair. "Elsa? Elsa you're awake! Oh thank God. I was so scared, I thought you might be-" she began before she choked on her sob.

"Shh, Shh. I'm alright, Anna. Just like you told me I would be," Elsa said smiling and pressed a hand to her sister's tear stained cheek.

The princess leaned into her chilly touch and place one of her own hands on top of Elsa's.

"How long have I been unconscious?" Elsa asked.

"Well it is… ," she glanced at the clock. "about 3:15 in the morning, so almost… 13 maybe 14 hours."

"What!" she exclaimed and attempted to sit upright but realized just how bad of an idea that was when a wave of nausea washed over her. Elsa had never moved so fast in her life and she only just made it to her chamber pot when she began to retch.

Her stomach was empty so all that came up was bile, the acid burning her already sore throat. At some point – she didn't know when – Anna came in behind her and helped hold her hair back while she heaved over and over again. Once she was done Elsa no longer felt sick to her stomach, but every muscle in her body was once again trembling with exhaustion and the pounding her head had increased tenfold.

Anna helped her get back into bed and wiped the sweat from her brow before picking up a tea cup from Elsa's bedside table. "Here, it might be cold now but Gerda said it will help with your headache," Anna said bringing the cup to her lips.

Elsa drank deeply, wincing at the flavour but feeling almost instant relief. Sighing contentedly the queen began to feel the beginnings of sleep creeping up on her. Her eyelids were becoming heavier with each passing second and she was finding it increasingly difficult to keep them open.

Anna could tell her sister was fading fast, so she crawled into the bed alongside the older woman and snuggled up next to her. "Go to sleep, Elsa. You are taking the day off… and that's an order," she commanded.

"Yes, Your Highness," Elsa yawned back, smiling and wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders. Closing her eyes the blonde was simply too tired to think about everything that happened, and for the first time since her return, the queen had a peaceful, dreamless sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

* _Next Day*_

Elsa woke to the sound of someone moving about her chambers. She slowly opened her eyes to find Gerda replacing an untouched breakfast tray with some fruit and cheese.

"Ah Majesty, it is good to see you up," the older woman said when she noticed Elsa watching her.

"Gerda how many times must I ask you to call me Elsa when we are alone?" she said, voice still a bit hoarse.

"Forgive me Miss Elsa, sometimes this old mind forgets," she replied placing the unused tray on a nearby trolley.

Elsa flashed her a grateful smile and made to sit up. The movement caused her to press the heel of her hand against her forehead. Although not nearly as painful as last night, the pressure behind her eyes was still present.

"Drink this dear, it will help," Gerda said handing the queen a steaming cup of what appeared to be some sort of foul smelling, green liquid. Normally Elsa was opposed to drinking strange concoctions she had never seen before, but she trusted Gerda and knew the woman had a knack for unearthing odd remedies.

Hesitantly, Elsa brought the drink to her lips and shuddered at the bitter taste, recognizing it as the same tea Anna had given her earlier.

The handmaid laughed at the blonde's expression. "I know the taste can be off-putting but it really does wonders."

"Hmm, 'off-putting' is not the term I would use, but yes it does seem to get the job done," she said choking down another mouthful. "What is it?"

"Willow bark tea," Gerda replied as she began folding the mountain of blankets that had been kicked off the bed periodically during the night when Anna inevitably became too hot. "My mother taught me the recipe when I was a girl."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, Elsa drinking her tea and Gerda expertly folding each blanket into a perfect square.

"How does your head feel?" the older woman asked.

"Better," said Elsa with a contented sigh and putting the empty cup down.

Gerda suddenly became very serious. "Good, because I really need you to focus on what I am about to say," she said, stopping what she was doing and placing her gloved hands firmly on her hips. "Elsa you give me another scare like the one you gave me last night and I swear by all the saints and angels you will never see another  _sliver_  of chocolate enter this castle again. Royal title be damned."

Elsa's eyebrows shot up into her hairline. There were very few times she'd seen Gerda become stern, and even fewer times she'd been scolded by her. The queen knew that the threat was an empty one but she could see the genuine concern reflected in the older woman's eyes. She felt a pang of guilt; Elsa knew it couldn't have been easy for Gerda to hear the young queen's latest episode.

"I promise Gerda," she replied with a small smile.

"Good because between you and Princess Anna," she sighed and shook her head. "I honestly believe you two are trying to give me a heart attack."

Elsa chuckled softly at Gerda's words and slid her legs off the side of the bed. "Speaking of Anna, where has my sister wandered off to?" she asked gesturing to the empty bed and attempting to stand on shaky legs. It seemed that despite her head being clearer then is had been for weeks, her body was still in recovery. Her limbs felt like lead and jelly all at once, making every movement a tad… unsteady.

"She is in her study dear," Gerda said offering her arm to the queen in order to help guide Elsa to the seat of her vanity.

"She's where?" Elsa asked looking at the older woman incredulously.

"Her study," she answered as if it were perfectly normal for the princess to be spending time in a room that did not exist.

Seeing the confusion on Elsa's face, Gerda decided to stop her teasing. "Princess Anna had one of the unused rooms, - the one next door to your own study in fact - turned into a private workspace. Seems after yesterday's incident she is quite adamant on lightening your workload."

"She did?" Elsa said absolutely dumbfounded as she watched Gerda's reflection begin to comb out her long platinum waves through her looking glass.

"Oh yes, our little Anna's been quite the busy bee. She's already made arrangements to have new furniture brought in to replace what was destroyed, headed a meeting with Kai regarding the necessity of increasing staff, and has even begun delegating tasks to the current staff in order to prepare the palace for the celebration."

Elsa turned her head to look at the older woman in complete shock. "Anna? Princess Anna? My sister? That Anna?" She just couldn't wrap her mind around it. Gerda must be mistaken; the Anna she knew did not delegate and most certainly did not hold meetings.

Gerda's smile only grew that much wider. "Yes Miss Elsa, I must say we were all pleasantly surprised at the sudden change in our princess," she replied, eyes shining with pride.

"And she did all of that today?" Then a thought struck her. "What time is it?" she asked, fearing the response.

"Almost noon Miss," Gerda answered.

_My goodness I've almost slept the whole day away. Oh well, I suppose it could have been worse. Wait. Anna got all of that work done before midday?_

Elsa was impressed; it seemed she had underestimated her sister. They had been apart for so long the queen often forgot that Anna wasn't a little girl anymore, but a woman grown.

"Gerda would you help me dress today? I'm not sure I'll be able to manage on my own," Elsa said as she rose from her seat, leaning heavily against her vanity.

"Of course dear."

* * *

Kristoff thought he had never seen anything so endearing in his life as he watched Anna from his seat. Her fingers were covered in black ink and she was hunched so close to a rather large piece of parchment that Kristoff wondered if her nose was covered in the same dark smudges. Her eyebrows were knit together in concentration and she had her tongue clenched firmly between her teeth as she worked, Anna was clearly a force to be reckoned with.

"Careful feisty-pants you might bite your tongue right off," Kristoff chuckled as he watched the girl frantically scribbling incoherent notes. "Ssshen hew thwoud havs to talkss slike sthis."

"Quiet you," she said not looking up. "Don't make me have the guards remove you from my royal presence," she added with the smallest hint of a smirk.

"My apologies your  _royal Highness_. Please find it in your heart to forgive this lowly ice harvester, he often forgets his place," Kristoff responded, standing up and bowing low before her.

Finally pulling herself away from her writing and putting down her quill, Anna looked over at her goofball of a friend. "I suppose I could let it slide. Just don't let it happen again," she giggled. "Now what was it you needed to talk to me about?"

Kristoff then remembered what it was he had come here for, that is before he had been completely distracted by the overwhelming adorableness that was Anna. "Oh right. I'm going away for a bit," he said straightening up from his awkward bow.

Anna quickly rose from her seat and her face fell. "What? Why? Where are going? You said you were going to be here, I even put you on the guest list for the ball," she said, voice rising in pitch ever so slightly. Hurt that her friend didn't want to be a part of her celebration.

Seeing how upset the girl was becoming Kristoff quickly moved forward and took her small hands in his own. "No, no Anna. I am only leaving for a few days. I just have something to take care of back at my place." It wasn't exactly a lie but it wasn't the whole truth either. "I'll be back in time for the celebration, don't worry," he assured tucking a loose strand of copper hair back behind her ear.

The gentle touch sent a shiver down the girl's spine and soothed her almost instantly.

"Oh, okay," she said brightly, mood immediately shifting. "Wait, you have a house?" she asked incredulously.

Kristoff laughed. "Not exactly a house, more like a shack. Where did you think I lived?"

"I don't know, I guess I just always pictured you sleeping in an igloo or something," she replied with a shrug.

"You're ridiculous," he said, gazing at her affectionately.

"Says the guy who talks to and  _for_  his reindeer," she countered, a little breathlessly. The way he was looking at her was making it increasingly difficult to breath properly.

They became quiet for a few moments, holding hands and gazing at one another. Neither sure of how or if they should proceed. Eventually it was Kristoff who broke the reverie, clearing his throat.

"I better get going," he said lifting one of her hands brushing his lips against her knuckles. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Y-yeah… tomorrow," Anna said, her breath hitching in her throat at the contact. His kiss had left her hand tingling and awoke butterflies in her stomach. "Bye."

"Bye," Kristoff said with a smile before turning to leave.

As Anna watched him go she cradled her hand to her chest, feeling a goofy grin spreading across her face. Sighing dreamily, the princess returned to her desk to resume her work.

* * *

 _Maybe I should have taken Gerda up on that offer to walk me down to see Anna._ Elsa thought to herself as she  _very_  slowly made her way down the hallway, one hand firmly gripping the walking stick she'd fashioned out of ice in order to support her weight.

The sound of heavy footsteps caused Elsa to look up just as Kristoff rounded the corner.

"Good afternoon Kristoff," she greeted with a smile.

"Hello Queen Elsa, how are you feeling?" he asked, glancing at the cane with a small frown.

Elsa resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his refusal to simply call her by her birth name. Even though she had insisted it was alright as long as they weren't out in public, he just didn't yet seem comfortable with the idea.

"Much better thank you. Just a little sore is all," she said. "I'm surprised you're still here actually, I thought you would left already."

"Oh, I was just heading out. I... uh… wanted to say goodbye to Anna first," he explained, running a hand through his hair.

The Queen felt a knowing smirk tugging at her lips. She would need to have a private conversation with the both of them regarding their budding relationship. Anna was still royalty after all and unfortunately that meant rules, and politics, and reputations to maintain.

"Of course. Thank you again for offering to do this for me Kristoff. Are you absolutely sure you don't wish me to ask someone else? I'm sure I could find someone to- "

"It's fine Majesty, honest. It gives me an excuse to check up on my cabin anyway," he assured. "I'll be back in two days at the latest. Hopefully, I'll be able to get it here without Anna seeing," he added, grinning.

"Yes that will be a challenge won't it?" she agreed.

Before she bid him farewell, Elsa asked the man to bring Olaf along with him, as the little snowman seemed bored being cooped up in the castle. He happily agreed - it seemed the snowman had bonded quite strongly to Sven - and she wished him a safe trip. Once he had disappeared from her sight the Queen returned to her task of reaching Anna's study before nightfall.

When she finally did make it to the room, she found her sister muttering over an array of formal documents as well as what appeared to be drawings of different types of sleds. Elsa stood in the doorway for a time catching her breath, content just to watch the girl work.

Elsa finally piped up when her legs began to tremble beneath her. "How are the celebration plans coming along princess?"

The red-haired girl lit up the second she saw her sister. "Elsa you're awake!" Her expression quickly morphed to that of concern when she caught sight of the walking stick. "Hey, should you even be out of bed?" she asked rushing to Elsa's side, taking her by the arm and leading her to a nearby lounge chair.

"The physician has assured me I will be fine as long as I stick to light work for today. Don't worry, I'm sure I'll be back to my old self by tomorrow," she said setting the walking stick aside and settling back into the soft cushions.

Anna however, did not look pleased by this answer. "Elsa you promised me you would take the day off. You're not seriously going back to work already, you can barely walk," she said.

"Anna," Elsa sighed. "You know as well as I that as queen I simply don't get the luxury of taking a day off, or at least not yet. My hold on the crown is still weak at best, and although most of our subjects seem to remember their love for our parents, those men at court are just waiting for an excuse to have me removed. I honestly believe the only reason they haven't done it already is because they are too afraid I might freeze them all if they tried," she chuckled darkly and flexing her hands unconsciously. "If they knew I was vulnerable, those vultures wouldn't hesitate to…" She paused and looked up at Anna, her face set in grim determination. "I won't give them the satisfaction."

Anna didn't know what to say. She knew Elsa wasn't getting along with the noblemen that made up her council but she hadn't realized it was this bad - no wonder she was so wound up yesterday. But how could they want to overthrow Elsa, couldn't they see how hard she was working? She was so good at it too, Elsa was born to rule, of that Anna was certain.

"Oh Elsa I'm sure that's not true. You're a great queen! Besides it not like they can just replace you with someone else, papa named  _you_  his heir" she said sitting down next to her sister.

"They may not have the power to remove me themselves but they could torment me until I stepped down. Evidently they are hoping I will hand the throne over to you," she said watching carefully for her sister's reaction. It wasn't what she expected.

The princess burst out laughing; so hard in fact that tears began to pour down her cheeks.

"I'm glad you find this so amusing," Elsa deadpanned.

"I'm sorry, but honesty Elsa you have to admit it's funny. Me, as queen? Are they insane? I'd have Arendelle in ruins by the end of the week." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Although, I suppose it makes sense;  _you_ will actually know how to take command and  _I_  would just be the dim witted girl with no icy powers to scare them with," she laughed. "I guess they finally found a use for the spare after all."

Despite the summer heat the air turned cold as Elsa's body went ridged and her expression turned dark. "Who called you that," she asked her voice low and dangerous.

"Well no one really, at least not directly. But I hear things and I'm not stupid Elsa, it's just the way things are. You're the heir and I'm the- "

"Don't," Elsa said holding up a hand. She couldn't take it anymore and started pacing around the room, ignoring the protests her body screamed at her. The queen was absolutely beside herself with fury at anyone and everyone who had put these absurd thoughts in her sister's head. It was a good thing Elsa had regained full control of her powers; otherwise there would be a lot more than just a small dip in temperature

Anna watched the blonde in stunned silence. Why was Elsa so upset, it wasn't that big of a deal, she had made her peace with it a long time ago.

"Anna how can you still think so little of yourself, after everything you've done for Arendelle? For me?"

The princess was taken aback by the anguish in her sister's voice. "I- I don't- I just… " she trailed off, eyes sinking to the floor.

She felt the warmth return to the room and a weight settle down beside her on the seat.

"Anna please look at me," Elsa said gently. Waiting for the redhead to meet her eyes before continuing. "I don't want to ever hear you refer to yourself in that way again. You are your own person Anna, being a princess doesn't change that," she said taking her sister's hands in her own. "Yes, unless I have children you are next in line for the throne, but you are so much more than that."

Elsa smiled and brushed a strand of hair away from her sister's face. "Let's see… you're smart, brave, loving, beautiful… Kristoff can attest to that," she added with a wink. "You always wrote me such lovely poems for my birthdays, you're a superb dancer, and you're so good with people Anna, everyone loves you. I just wish you did," she finished softly.

Anna knew the queen had a point, the girl had always struggled with her self-worth, but it wasn't without reason. She'd grown up always being compared to Elsa; her older sister tended to be better than her at  _everything_. Elsa was the artist, Elsa was the scholar, Elsa was expected to do great things. Even when the queen-to-be wasn't around, Anna's tutors wouldn't hesitate to remind her.

 _Concentrate, your sister didn't have this much trouble with French. Your sister plays piano_ and _the harp, stop complaining! Watch Elsa, you see how she does it, now try again._

Over the years, living in her older sister's shadow had slowly chipped away at the redhead's self-esteem. However, she could handle the harsh criticism of her teachers; it was Elsa's indifference that affected the young princess most.

Sighing Anna rested her head on the blonde's shoulder. She still wasn't convinced, but she appreciated what Elsa was trying to do. "Alright, I'll try to stop being so hard on myself."

Elsa gave the girl's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "That's good to hear. I can't have my Right Hand questioning herself can I?"

Anna pulled back from the queen and looked up at her questioningly. "Your Right Hand? What are you talking about?"

"Well, ever since the incident with the Ambassador, I have been attempting to devise a way in which no one can question your authority. So Kai and I went looking through council positions that have yet to be filled; first we thought princess consort would be best but that title is only involved when there is a tie through marriage. We then somewhat happened upon Right Hand, it is an old position and hasn't been used since our great grandfather's reign, but it seemed to fit," Elsa explained.

"Aside from myself, you will be the highest ranking member of my council and after hearing how well you have been doing today, I think you would be perfect for the job. Of course we would have to discuss what duties you would take over, but that would mostly depend on how much you wanted to be involved," Elsa said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "There may be a few things I'd need to teach you and bring up to speed on, but I'm sure it will be no problem as you seem to be quite the natural at it," Elsa said smiling. "You would become Princess Anna of Arendelle, heir to the throne and Right Hand of the Queen… that is, if you want to," she added quickly.

Anna just stared up at her blankly, dumbfounded that her sister would trust her with something like this. No one had ever shown this much faith in the princess – not even her parents – yet Elsa seemed completely convinced she could not only handle the responsibility, but do it well. She had been searching for Elsa's approval all her life, now she had it and more, it was enough to bring tears to her eyes.

_Maybe I am more than just the spare…_

Elsa's expression turned to that of confused panic. "Anna? What's wrong? Don't cry, please don't cry," she pleaded.

"You really think I'd be good at it?"

The question came out so softly that Elsa had to strain to hear it.

Immediately the queen relaxed and smiled down at the younger girl, taking her face in her hands. "I  _know_  you will be."

* * *

"What do you mean you were attacked by wolves!" cried a now distraught looking Elsa.

"Oops, did I not tell you that?" Anna said, laughing nervously.

Elsa sighed and sank back against the cushions of her bed, rubbing her temples. "I think I would have remembered something like that."

The two women had retired to Elsa's bedchamber early that evening at the insistence of both Anna and the royal physician, as both could see that Elsa needed rest. It had been an especially frustrating day for the young queen; although her mind was alert and focused, her body refused to obey her commands. She felt like an invalid.

Luckily for Elsa she'd only had one formal meeting with her small council scheduled that afternoon, but it had been a lengthy one. It had been difficult hiding her weakness from the critical gaze of the men who watched her every move, but with Anna's help she had managed it. The young queen was even able to make the short walk to her seat without the aid of her walking stick.

Her announcement of Anna as her Right Hand was received just as she had anticipated. The only members who did not look shocked or disapproving were Kai and surprisingly, the Arch Bishop who seemed to be rather pleased with the idea - he had always been close to the royal family. No one voiced their objection to the queen's decision however. Rumors of the woman's response to words spoken out against her sister had circulated quickly and no one was in any particular mood to test her further.

"Hey,  _you_  didn't tell me about those guys who tried to hurt you up on the mountain," Anna countered from her seat at the end of Elsa's bed. "I still can't believe the nerve of that Weasel guy! If I ever get a hold of him I'll- I'll just-  _grrrr_ ," she said making some sort of animal imitation; bearing her teeth and curling her fingers to resemble claws. "You know?"

The topic of the attempted assassination at Elsa's ice palace had inevitably come up during the meeting and of course Anna had been furious, even the other council members had the decency to look mildly outraged. The princess had done a fairly good job of reining in her temper earlier but now that they were alone, she was free to voice her displeasure all she wanted.

Elsa giggled softly at her sister's antics. "Yes, I'm certain you would put him in his place. I'm just glad we actually came to an agreement on how to deal with him."

"Do you really think the Duke will eventually lower his prices so that Arendelle will resume trade with Weselton?" Anna asked absentmindedly playing with her Sven figurine.

"Lord Elrik," Arendelle's master of coin, "seemed to think so, but I'm not sure. On the one hand, the Duke is a very proud man and holds no love for me," she said, recalling their previous encounter and the way he looked at her. Like she were some sort of rabid animal that needed to be destroyed. "But on the other hand his province relies so heavily on our business that a complete severance would be a shattering blow… I suppose we will just have to wait and see."

"So, back to business," Elsa said sitting up and grabbing the stack of parchment sitting next to her on the bedside table. "Now that I know  _why_  we owe Kristoff a new sled, come help me pick one out," she said patting the space next to her.

"There were two that I really liked but I couldn't decide which one I liked best," Anna said, crawling up next to her sister and snuggling into her side.

After the Thaw it seemed as though Anna couldn't help but be as close to Elsa as physically possible. Whether it was linking arms while they walked together or lying as they were now; her head against Elsa's shoulder, one arm draped over the blonde's stomach as Elsa absentmindedly stroked her fingers through Anna's hair. The princess had to keep reminding herself that Elsa was here, that she was real. At first the girl worried it would be too much for Elsa, but so far her older sister seemed to crave the closeness they'd been denied for so long just as much as Anna did.

Elsa inspected the forms regarding the two sleds her sibling had indicted. "You have expensive taste when it comes to sleds," she remarked with laugh. "But I suppose it's the least we can do… after all he's done for us," she said tightening her hold on her sister ever so slightly. "I think I like this one, it has state-of-the-art rudders  _and_  a cup holder, very practical."

"Plus it comes with a matching harness for Sven," Anna added. "That settles it, that's the one. I'll ask Kai to send somebody to get one as soon as possible. I can't wait to see the look on his face," she said, giddy with the thought of how happy the new sled would make him.

"Oh, and speaking of Kristoff, do you want to tell him or shall I," Elsa asked leaning over to put the order forms away.

She had decided to appoint Kristoff as Arendelle's first ever Ice Master and Deliverer. He would be responsible for overseeing the sale and transport of her magical ice. It would give him a steady, well-paying job that would allow him to remain close to the royal family without causing any sort of scandal and served as a good stepping-stone to eventually allow Elsa to increase his status should he and Anna ever decide to marry.

"I'll tell him," Anna said stifling a yawn. "Oh and by the way, I owe him a new lute too," she said snuggling closer to her sister and closing her eyes.

Elsa grinned down at the girl and sighed. "Of course you do."


	10. Chapter 10

_***Day of the celebration, one month since the Great Thaw***_

"Anna?" Elsa called softly as she slipped into the bedchamber, pushing a cart filled to the brim with an assortment of delicious looking foods.

Elsa had decided to surprise her little sister with breakfast in bed; today was all about Anna after all. However, when she had awoken early and gone down to the kitchens, Elsa had come to the painful realization that she still had no idea what the princess even liked. Luckily for her, the castle staff did.

Unsurprisingly, the princess slept on; dead to the world and unaware of the treats that awaited her.

"Anna dear, wake up," Elsa tried again, at little louder this time.

The girl rolled over and mumbled something in her sleep that sounded suspiciously like the name of a certain ice harvester.

The queen laughed and looked thoughtfully down at the slumbering redhead. So much had happened in the past month Elsa could still hardly believe any of it was real. Her secret had been exposed, she'd learned the true extent of her power, and she was reunited with her beloved sister. The sister who saved her, who stuck by her side even after years of separation, years of believing Elsa no longer loved her. Well, today's celebration would show her just how wrong she had been.

If Elsa was being completely honest with herself, she may have gone a little over the top. With the extravagant banquet, the lavish ball and expensive gifts. But she couldn't help it; Elsa owed the girl so much.

However, it would be very difficult for Anna to enjoy the festivities while sleeping.

As Elsa was contemplating this fact an idea struck her, and a cat-like grin spread across her face. With a flick of her wrist, Elsa conjured a gust of arctic air in her palm and thrust it at the sleeping girl, effectively blowing the comforter off the bed and causing Anna to sit bolt upright, now fully awake.

"WHAT ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH!?" she yelled, eyes bulging in shock and limbs frantically striking at the air as if fending off some sort of invisible assailant. Her head whipped around to the sound of hysterical laughter coming from the other side of the room, where her sister stood doubled over, clutching her sides and gasping for air. "YOU!" Anna roared and leaped from the bed.

Elsa yelped in surprise as a flurry of red hair tackled her to the ground and began tickling her sides mercilessly. "Anna no! Stop it, that's not fair!" she shrieked, trying rather unsuccessfully to push the girl's hands away. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry, you win!" she gasped and the princess jumped off her with a triumphant cry.

"Ha! Serves you right for waking me up like that," she scolded, helping the still giggling queen to her feet.

"Well maybe I wouldn't have to if you weren't such a heavy sleeper. Honestly, someone could fire a canon in here and you would just keep snoring away," Elsa said readjusting her dress and smoothing her hair back into place.

"I do not snore," Anna huffed and folding her arms across her chest.

"I see. Well then, I will just have to inform Kai that an angry bear seems to be frequenting whatever room you may be sleeping in," Elsa responded with a smirk.

"Alright missy first of all, rude. Second of all, I will have you know- Wait a minute," the princess paused in her ranting and tentatively sniffed the air. "Do I smell chocolate?" Anna's face lit up when her eyes fell to the serving cart behind her sister.

Elsa smiled and turned to wheel the cart over to the small dining table next to the window. Anna trailed after her, nose first.

"Victor has assured me these are all of your favourites," she explained. "You have quite the sweet tooth Anna, I have never heard of someone enjoying so much sugar this early in the morning," Elsa said in disbelief. Although, she had to admit, those hotcakes smelled delicious.

Ignoring the comment Anna openly ogled the mouth-watering spread before her and savored the delicious aroma rising from the meal. Elsa was right when she said every single breakfast food she loved currently rested on that tray; buttermilk pancakes filled to the brim with bits of chocolate, fresh strawberries, quail eggs mixed with red pepper and cheese, long strips of crispy bacon and buns dipped in honey. Anna was sure that if she stood there much longer she would start drooling all over her nightgown.

"Well are you going to eat or just stare at it all day?" Elsa asked, waving a hand in front of her sister's blank expression, snapping the girl out of her trance.

"Uh, the first one," Anna said, almost like a question. Siting down in one of the chairs and picking up her fork Anna noticed something. "Where is your food?" she asked looking pointedly at the queen.

Anna knew that the blonde has always been thin but these last few weeks had left the queen practically skin and bone, something the princess was determined to fix.

"Oh I'm fine, I had a bit of fruit this morning," Elsa replied, waving away the girl's concern. "Please dig in, I'll just watch."

Sighing Anna grabbed a spare fork from the tray and forcibly handed it to her sister. "Eat," she commanded, daring the woman to argue with her.

"Anna really, I am fine. It is your food, your day. I don't need-"

"Elsa," Anna interrupted. "Don't make me force feed you. There is no way I will be able to eat all of this food on my own anyway," she said matter-of-factly. "C'mon we'll share."

Smiling lightly, Elsa took the fork from her sister.

xxx

"You really didn't have to get me anything Elsa," Anna said as she followed her sister down one of the castle's many hallways.

Once they had finished eating - Anna having successfully coaxed the queen into eating a generous amount of food - Elsa announced she had something she wanted to give the princess. And although the girl had repeatedly told Elsa she had done enough and she didn't need to be showered with gifts, on the inside she was practically buzzing with excitement.

"Nonsense, we are celebrating you after all," said Elsa. "Besides, you got me that lovely quill and I would very much like to return the gesture. But, I suppose if you really don't want it I could send it back…"

"No!" Anna yelled suddenly, causing her sister to smirk at her and raise an eyebrow. "I- I mean I wouldn't want you to go through all that trouble for nothing. We shouldn't let all your hard work go to waste, right?" she said hurriedly and flashing an innocent smile.  _Good save Anna, she totally bought it._

"Well it is good to hear you always have my best interests at heart," Elsa chuckled. "Come on it's just in here."

"But this is my room. Wait, you didn't clean it again did you?" Anna asked narrowing her eyes at the queen.

"Well admittedly yes, but that isn't the surprise," she replied taking the girl's hand and leading her inside.

"Good morning Majesty, Highness," greeted a wispy haired, old woman standing in the middle of the bedchamber.

"Hello Netta," Elsa said giving the royal seamstress a small nod of her head. Even though both girls had known Netta since childhood the woman looked exactly the same as she did the first day they'd met. Back bent from years spent hunched over a needle and thread, long fingers made for precise, delicate movement, and despite her age the brightest green eyes Elsa had ever seen.

At the sight of the woman Anna gave her sister a confused look. "I don't understand, Netta is my gift?"

Smiling, the old woman motioned the girl forward and as she did so moved toward the changing curtain. "No princess, I am not your gift. This is your gift," Netta said pushing the curtain aside, revealing the most magnificent ball gown Anna had ever seen in her entire life.

"Oh," she breathed.

Anna was awestruck. It was gorgeous, it was stunning, it was wonderful, splendid, and a number of other adjectives that Anna couldn't recall at the moment. It was the colour of the first leaves of spring with skirts inlaid with soft patterns of weaving vines. Carefully, she reached out and ran a hand over the soft fabric admiring the way it shimmered in the light. The bodice was framed in delicate beading that came together at the waist to run down the front of the skirt, it also reached around the wearer's neck to secure the bodice in place. Lastly, interweaving hand-stitched golden rosemaling decorated the bodice as well as the skirts below it, revealing just how much time and effort was put into making such a dress.

"I take it you like it then?" Elsa asked, moving to stand next to the girl.

"Like it? I love it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Anna cried, wrapping her big sister in a bone-crushing hug that Elsa returned happily.

The sound of Netta clearing her throat reminded the girls that they weren't alone and reluctantly pulled apart. "Come princess, let's have you put it on so I can make sure it fits properly for tonight's ball."

Anna's fitting took a little longer than usual due to the redhead's constant fidgeting. The seamstress constantly had to remind the girl to stand still lest she get pricked with a needle.

"Oh my gosh Elsa this dress must have cost you a fortune! I bet you could buy like 1000 chocolates with the beads alone! That would be a lot of chocolates though… maybe too many chocolates… ha, listen to me talking crazy." The girl gushed while Elsa read over some last minute arrangements for this evening's ball.

"Ouch!"

"I'm sorry your highness, but you really must keep still. I'm almost done," Netta chuckled, knowing full well that a few pokes would do little to quell the girl's excitement. Anna had been this way since she was small and the seamstress knew the redhead was not likely to change today.

Once everything was pinned into place, Netta stepped out of the room to fetch her sewing materials. Anna stood facing the mirror admiring the way the gown perfectly hugged her frame, and how the soft shade of green seemed to bring out the fiery copper of her hair just right.

"You look just like her," Elsa said from just behind her sister.

Anna didn't need to ask of whom the blonde was talking about. She knew right away that Elsa was referring to their mother. Tears blossomed in her eyes and her chest tightened.

"You really think so?" Anna asked, her voice small as her eyes searched Elsa face for reassurance.

Elsa nodded and took the younger girl's hands in her own. "They would have been so proud of you Anna."

"Of both of us," Anna corrected, giving the queen's hands a gently squeeze.

With a smile full of warmth and love Elsa brushed her sister's bangs away from her face and placed a light kiss to her forehead. "Yes, of both of us."

xxx

Sitting next to Anna, Elsa tried very hard to steady the trembling in her gloved hands.

The royal sisters sat under a green and purple canopy watching the large crowd enjoying the grand celebration honoring their heroic princess. The festivities were well underway; sleds traveled up the North Mountain every two hours so that the citizens of Arendelle might witness the awe-inspiring ice palace their queen had created during the eternal winter; performers entertained the masses lining the streets; and carts displaying all kinds food and drink filled the main square with delicious smells.

Anna, full of energy as always, bounced up and down in her seat, craning her neck to get a better view of some brightly coloured jugglers who were throwing what appeared to be flaming torches between them. At their feet stood a wide-eyed Olaf, fascinated by the dancing flames.

That morning Elsa had addressed her subjects publicly once more, during which she introduced the little snowman. She had expected them to at least be a little bit nervous, but it seemed that after discovering their queen had magical powers granting her the ability to manipulate ice and snow, a sentient snowman was not all that shocking. And as Olaf waved down at the crowd Elsa declared that the celebration of Arendelle's princess had officially begun.

"Elsa can we go closer? Sitting here is boring. Let's go explore," Anna said hopefully, eyes wide with excitement. This was the first time she and Elsa had gone into town together and she wanted to make the most of it.

"I- I don't know Anna," Elsa wrung her hands together, twisting and pulling at the fabric of her gloves. Anna hated those stupid gloves almost as much as she hated that stupid door.

"There are so many people. Why don't you go ahead without me," she said, pulling her gloves on a little tighter.

Elsa's ability to be around people may have improved greatly over the last month but there had always been some level of distance between her and those she interacted with. Whether it was the desk in her study, the dais upon which her throne sat, or a balcony, Elsa was able to maintain her space. This however, was different. If she were to venture out into the crowded streets she would loose that space… she might accidentally touch someone.

Anna knew her sister had been practicing with her powers each day, refining her control and testing her limits. But Anna also understood the woman had been living in fear for so long that thoughts of frightening or even harming someone still plagued her mind like a festering wound.

Standing up, Anna moved to stand in front of the blonde. To anyone else Elsa would look to be the picture of graceful queen, but Anna could see all the conflicting emotions swirling in those cerulean orbs. The girl held out a single delicate hand to her sister. "It's alright to be scared Elsa, but I will be right here with you. It will be okay I promise," she paused for a moment, eyes sliding downward. "I- I just wish you wouldn't wear those dumb gloves," Anna grumbled, making a face at the offending articles of clothing.

At the mention of her gloves Elsa looked down and flexed her hands, savoring the familiar feel of the soft fabric that she had worn almost like a second skin for over a decade. The queen knew she didn't really need them, but somehow they made her feel a little less stressed about being in the village among her people; they were a crutch in the form of dyed calves skin.

Giving her sister a pleading look, Elsa resisted the urge to bring her hands close to her chest, fighting hard to maintain her regal visage. There were eyes everywhere and she couldn't afford to look weak while she was still trying to convince her kingdom that she could be a capable ruler. "It's just… this is the first time I have been this close to everyone since the coronation. I don't want them to be frightened of me… ," she said, voice small.

"Okay," Anna sighed. "I think I get it, but for the record I don't like it. I'm not afraid of you and neither are they, so relax," she said firmly.

After a little more persuading, Anna hooked her arm around Elsa's and the two royals ventured forth into the streets. At first the queen walked stiffly at her sister's side, a tense smile glued to her lips and nodding to those that waved. However, the longer they walked together the more at ease Elsa became, it was hard to remain anxious while Anna pointed out all the different performers and waved enthusiastically back at the townspeople.

"Anna! Queen Elsa!"

"Halt! Sir, you do not have permission to approach the queen and the princess."

"Hey! Let me go, I know them. Anna!"

"Sir, please."

The commotion caused Arendelle's royal sisters to look up from a collection of summer hats they had been admiring, to find a tousled Kristoff wrestling with the two men that made up the girl's escort.

Snorting in amusement Anna ran to the mountain man's aid.

"Guys, guys it okay. Kristoff is with me. I mean he's not with me, with me. Uh, that is- I- We're friends," the princess said, becoming increasingly flustered.

The men of the royal guard looked to Elsa for assistance.

She nodded and waved them away. "Good morning Kristoff, I see you share my sister's proficiency for avoiding trouble," she said good-naturedly as she watched the ice harvester indignantly straighten his mussed clothing.

"Hey!" Anna pouted.

Kristoff smiled. "Morning. How are you guys enjoying the celebration?" he asked.

At his question Anna immediately brightened and animatedly began to tell him all about her morning and all the things she wanted to see before they had to return to the castle courtyard.

The two friends quickly became so absorbed in their conversation that they had started wandering off, leaving Elsa by herself. And without her sister's comforting presence the queen could feel her insecurities clawing their way back into the forefront of her mind.

Elsa was about to flee back to the safety of the canopy when a squeal of laughter caught her attention. A little girl – she couldn't have been more than five or six years old - with soft brown curls and a ragged looking doll clutched to her chest darted out from between the forest of legs, seemingly to get to a cart full of sweets. Seeing no parents nearby the queen watched as the child's foot caught on one of the cobblestones and fell hard to her hands and knees, doll flying.

Hearing the girl's cry of pain, Elsa reacted instinctively and the next thing she knew she was at the girl's side, helping the child to her feet. Although she didn't seem to be harmed, the little girl had scraped one of her knees and was wailing loud enough to attract the attention of most of the people standing nearby. Elsa however, hadn't noticed the onlookers yet as she was too busy trying to persuade the girl to stop crying.

"You're alright. Don't cry." Elsa soothed, but it didn't seem to help.

_What am I doing? I don't know anything about children. The only child I've been around was Anna when we were younger…_

Elsa was suddenly struck with an idea and pulled off one of her gloves. "Here look," she said as a small flurry of glittering snowflakes burst from her open palm.

This seemed to distract the girl from her aches as she watched - eyes wide with wonder - the snow fall gently to settle on her nose and eyelashes.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Elsa asked with a soft smile.

The little girl nodded but her lip still trembled and tears threatened to spill at any moment. Elsa looked around for something else to distract the girl and noticed the doll lying off to the side.

"Your doll fell and hurt herself, I think she needs a hug," the blonde said dusting off the toy before offering it to the curly-haired girl. She snatched up the doll and hugged it close, looking up at Elsa with puffy green eyes.

"What is your name little one?" Elsa asked, still oblivious to the many on-lookers who watched in stunned silence.

It was an odd sight to be sure. The once elusive Queen of Arendelle known for her poise and elegance, kneeling in the dirt and trying to bring comfort to a small girl who'd hurt herself.

"Maika," she said shyly.

"Hello Maika, my name is Elsa," the woman replied, encouraged now that the girl had stopped crying.

The girl sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve. "I know that; I seen you talk'n to everybody at the castle after the summer-winter. You's the queen," she said raising her chin, proud she was able to show off that she knew just as much as the grown-ups did.

Elsa raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "That's right, I'm the queen. And as queen I say there is to be no crying today. So, let's put a smile on your face shall we? Do you have a favourite animal Maika?"

Wrinkling her nose, the little girl thought for a moment before responding. "Kittens!" she proclaimed, skinned knee now completely forgotten.

Smiling, the queen held up one of her hands, palm facing up and held the image she wanted to create in her mind. As she did so the ice lying dormant beneath her pale skin sprang to life, rising up and slowly taking shape. Within a few short moments the soft glow of her magic retreated back to it's mistress, leaving behind a small cat made of ice so smooth and clear it could have been mistaken for glass.

"There," Elsa said holding up the ornament and handing it to the little girl who was now bouncing on the balls of her feet as she fought to contain her excitement. "Now your doll has a pet."

Giggling madly and before Elsa had time to react; the girl threw her arms around the queen's waist eliciting a sharp gasp from those watching.

Now aware of her audience Elsa began to blush furiously and stiffened. No one had touched her so freely in over thirteen years - no one other than Anna of course. As the little girl hugged her, Elsa was reminded of the redhead at that age and how she would cling to her older sister when she was scared or tired. The happy memories eased her embarrassment and she returned the embrace, hearing more then one sigh of endearment from those around her.

"Maika!? Maika, thank goodness," called a slight, dark-haired woman who Elsa could only assume was the girl's mother. "I've been looking everywhere for you, you naughty child," the woman scolded, as the girl extracted herself from the blonde, who then took the opportunity to pick herself off the street and quickly slip her glove back on. "Thank you for finding her Miss- "

The woman trailed off as her eyes quickly took in Elsa's finely made clothing, briefly pausing on her gloves before finally coming to rest on the glittering ice tiara nestled amongst her platinum strands.

For a few seconds the woman simply stood wide-eyed in front of Elsa, mouth hanging open. She had heard rumors that the new queen was a kind woman, but there were other rumors too, ones that caused her eyes to occasionally flick down to the beautiful suede gloves that perfectly hugged the woman's fingers. She seemed to suddenly realize she was staring and found her voice again.

"Q- queen Elsa! I- please forgive my rudeness," she stuttered, quickly ducking into a low curtsy, no longer able to meet the blonde's eye. "I- I didn't realize- I am so sorry your Majesty. And my daughter, please, she doesn't know any better. Doesn't realize who you are-"

"I do so know who she is!" said a very indignant little girl.

"Hush Maika!" hissed her mother.

Elsa's smile slowly turned sad when she saw how frightened the poor woman was.

_I knew they were afraid of me. Of course they are you fool, you've been locked in a room for thirteen years and the first time they actually get to meet you, you freeze everything. Did you really think one speech and a party would fix that?_

"Oh, um… you must be Maika's mother. Please don't apologize, it's quite alright… um… you have a very lovely daughter," Elsa said, schooling her features into what was hopefully, a reassuring smile.

The woman seemed slightly surprised by Elsa's response as she raised her head abruptly. "T-thank you your Majesty."

The awkward exchange between the queen and Maika's mother had Elsa so upset that she could feel her gloves stiffening with frost and her composure slipping. She had just made up her mind to excuse herself when little Maika's voice pulled Elsa down from her panic.

"Look mama, the pretty queen-lady made me a kitten!" the girl suddenly exclaimed, tugging on her mother's skirts and holding up her new toy proudly.

Taking the tiny figurine from her daughter, the woman turned it over in her hands. Marveling at the intricate details and the sheer elegance of it. She couldn't help but marvel at the lack of imperfections in the finely crafted ice. There were no air pockets or cracks like the ones usually found in its natural counterpart, which only further indicated that this was no ordinary ice.

"You made this?" the woman asked incredulously.

Elsa nodded. "Yes well, Maika had hurt herself… I just wanted to make her feel better," the blonde said timidly.

The dark-haired woman visibly relaxed and even gave Elsa a warm smile. "It's beautiful."

"Thank you," Elsa said, feeling the heat rising in cheeks.

Maika's mother then crouched down in front of her daughter and handed back the little ice cat. "Sweetheart did you thank Queen Elsa for the gift?" she asked.

"Thank you Miss Queen Elsa!" she said brightly before turning back to her mother. "Mama can I play with my kitten now? I want to show Kalie."

"Alright, but no more running off," she said, standing up and taking the little girl's hand. "Thank you again Majesty… it was… it was nice to meet you."

"You're very welcome. It was a pleasure to meet you both, please enjoy the rest of the celebration," Elsa said, folding her hands neatly in front of her. Feeling happier then she had all morning.

As she watched the pair walk away, her attention was suddenly drawn to a voice calling her name.

"Elsa!"

The queen turned to see the bubbly redhead squeeze through the crowd, dragging a bemused Kristoff behind her.

"Why'd you leave? You missed it; this guy swallowed like five whole swords! Isn't that crazy!"

"It was only one sword Anna," Kristoff corrected.

"What does it matter how many there were? A person shoved a sword down his throat!"

Elsa rubbed her own throat at the thought. "That does sound rather impressive," she chuckled.

"So what were you doing?" Anna asked, giving her sister a suspicious look. "I was worried that you had run back to the tent."

Elsa couldn't help the guilty look that flashed across her face. "I was going to," the queen admitted. "But I got a little… distracted," she said, a small smile tugging at her lips.

The princess tilted her head to the side in confusion. Crossing her arms, Anna opened her mouth to demand what exactly it was that had caught the blonde's attention long enough to stop her escape. But the question died on her tongue when a little girl with blonde pigtails and dirt on her nose began tugging on Elsa's skirts causing the queen to look down in surprise.

Both Kristoff and Anna stood in complete shock as they watched Elsa - the woman who not minutes ago was fretting herself into an early grave at the thought of getting too close to people - crouch down to the girl's level.

"Hello there," she said warmly.

"Are you the queen who made Maika her ice kitten?" the little girl asked eagerly. "I want a pony!"

The woman chuckled at the girl's forwardness.

Those insufferable men on my council could learn a thing or two from this child. My meetings would certainly be a lot shorter.

XXX

"Okay you two, enough with the secrets. What's going on? Don't think I can't see those smug little looks you're giving each other. I know you're hiding something from me,"

Anna said with an irritated huff and crossing her arms in a very mature pout.

After spending most of the morning entertaining the children of Arendelle, Elsa and Kristoff had taken the princess for a walk through the palace grounds, but she wasn't so easily fooled. She knew there was something going on - the entire time they had been walking the two of them kept exchanging the most annoying glances and whispering to each other.

"I have no idea what you are talking about Anna," Elsa said innocently, earning a glare from her sister.

"Yea freckles, when did you become so paranoid?" Kristoff chuckled, before dodging a well-aimed punch. The mountain man decided he enjoyed this ruffled side of Anna. He was once again proven wrong in thinking the girl couldn't get any more adorable and he could help but want to kiss the indignant look right off her face.

Feeling the blush rising in his cheeks the man quickly shook the thoughts from his head, now painfully aware that Anna's sister was,  _right there you idiot!_

Groaning loudly and pulling at her braids in frustration, the girl tried a different approach. "Okay if you won't tell me what is going on, will you at least tell me where we are going?" she probed.

"No need, we're here," Elsa said turning to the princess, smiling widely and looking far too proud of herself. Anna couldn't recall a time she had seen her sister so giddy, that was usually her job.

Anna looked from Elsa to Kristoff to Elsa again, now completely lost.

"The stables? Why are we- " the princess gave a little gasp of excitement. "Are we going riding?" she asked, now bouncing up and down.

"Not exactly," Elsa said, giving Kristoff another one of those damn looks, to which he just smirked.

"Well then what are we doing here?" Anna sighed, growing impatient.

"Coming inside and see," the queen said, taking one of Anna's hands in her own and pulling her forward.

As the trio entered the barn Anna was greeted with all the sights and smells she had loved so much growing up. The girl smiled as she inhaled the scent of hay and pine shavings, recalling all the time she had spent grooming her pony. She would spend hours brushing him and telling him about the new dress mama had bought her or how she had actually talked to Elsa that day.

Although a relatively large building, capable of comfortably housing upwards of forty horses, it currently contained only two – plus a reindeer. Where there should have been many grooms and trainers bustling about, were empty stalls and dusty tack hanging on the walls.

"Which one?" Elsa asked Kristoff, eyes sweeping up and down the center isle.

"Last one on the right," Kristoff replied, laughing at the redhead's surprised expression as Elsa began pulling her sister along behind her.

_What on earth has gotten into Elsa? She doesn't even like horses. Anna thought, almost colliding with the queen when she suddenly came to an abrupt halt. And before the girl could give her sister a proper scolding Elsa had grabbed her shoulders and spun her around to face the stall they were standing in front of._

"Anna, I'd like you to meet Cinna." Elsa gave her sister a gentle nudge forward.

Stepping closer, Anna couldn't help but gawk at the magnificent beast standing before her.

In the stall stood a beautiful mare that wasn't anything like the typical Scandinavian ponies that lived within Arendelle's boarders. Short and stocky was replaced with tall and lean; with a gleaming coat so red it put Anna's own copper strands to shame. And instead of a coarse mane that stood up straight, was a black mane and tail that flowed like silk.

At Anna's approach the horse pitched her ears forward and lowered her velvety muzzle to the girl's outstretched palm, breathing in her scent. Deciding she'd had enough with introductions, Cinna began to nose her all over, mouthing at the redhead's clothes and hair in an attempt to locate potential treats.

Kristoff and Elsa exchanged proud grins as they watched the girl they both cared for so much giggle happily as the mare continued to tickle the redhead's face with her whiskers.

Finally able to tear herself from the red mare's affections Anna beamed at her two favourite people. "She's beautiful, I've never seen a horse like this in Arendelle."

"Well, I met our cousin from Corona a few weeks ago - you will get to meet her and her husband tonight at the ball - she told me about the fine horses they breed back in her home country for the military. Cinna, I'm told, has impeccable breeding; her sire was one of the bravest in Corona. Naturally, Rapunzel and I decided the mare would be a perfect addition to our stable," Elsa explained.

"And she's mine?" Anna asked excitedly.

Elsa's smile stretched from ear to ear, Anna's joy was infectious as warmth flooded her body. "All yours," she answered softly.

"But only if you clean up after her, feed her, and take her for her walk," Kristoff lectured, with laughter shinning in his dark brown eyes. "Otherwise we'll have no choice but to send her back."

Elsa chuckled lightly at the ice harvester's teasing but it quickly turned into a squeak of surprise when something crashed into her and began to squeeze uncomfortably tight. Anna had wrapped her sister and Kristoff in a fierce embrace that crushed the three together, reminding each of them just how deceptively strong the princess was.

When Anna finally released her hold, the three of them were grinning like idiots. Elsa was the first to recover and cleared her throat. "I'm thrilled you like her Anna, but there is another matter I would like to discuss with you. As your first act as Right Hand I would like to charge you with getting this poor excuse for a stable back on its feet. Hire new grooms, trainers, farriers, and fill up these empty stalls. That being said, try to keep in mind that Arendelle's treasury is not as well stocked as it once was, but we can discuss that at a later time. As you are much more knowledgeable in this matter than myself, I am leaving this endeavor entirely in your capable hands," she said affectionately.

Anna's eyes grew so wide with a combination of shock and excitement Elsa silently worried they might get stuck that way. "Oh my gosh Elsa, are you serious!" She spun around excitedly picturing how it would all look once she was finished. "I have so many ideas, I can't wait! We can clear out the old trails and convert some of the stalls to loose boxes; I read somewhere that they're better for the horses. We will have to open up the rooms above the barn for any new staff of course but that will be easy. Oh, oh we can get a carriage; I've always wanted to ride in one! The tack room could go over here, it will be much bigger than the old one," she said racing over to a dark, empty room. "And over here is where the carriage goes, we can put - "

"Anna!" Kristoff called, happy to see the girl so thrilled but if he didn't pull her out of her rambling now they may never bring her back.

"What?" the princess asked sounding annoyed. She was breathing much heavier than normal and was practically vibrating with all the plans buzzing around in her head.

Both Kristoff and Elsa were grinning at the enthusiastic redhead as they waited for her to come down from her high. When she had calmed down enough Elsa decided it was safe to continue. "I am confident you will have this place returned to it former glory in no time and I would love to hear all your ideas, but I think we should get back to the celebration, yes?"

Anna took one last longing look at Cinna and the rest of the stable before turning back to Kristoff and her sister. "Ya, okay. What do you want to do now? We could go get something to eat, I saw a chocolate vendor on our way here," she said as her mouth began to water at the thought.

"Unfortunately, I have some matters that must be dealt with back at the castle before I can join you in the courtyard," Elsa said, referring to the demonstration she and Anna had concocted in order for Arendelle's citizens to view their new queen's awe inspiring powers up close. Seeing the disappointment flash across Anna's face Elsa quickly redirected her attention. "Why don't you take Kristoff down to the wharf and give him his own surprise."

Anna's looked just as confused as the man next to her for a moment, but her eyes widened for a second time as she suddenly understood what Elsa was talking about. Any sour feelings about her sister's impending departure vanished as she began to bounce up and down excitedly.

"Whaaaat are you talking about," asked Kristoff, drawing out the word as he grew more and uneasy at the knowing looks the two royals were giving each other. The giant smirk stretching across Anna's face wasn't helping matters either.

"Only one way to find out," Anna said. Quickly snatching a rag hanging next to Cinna's stall Anna and grabbing one of Kristoff's large hands, she began slowly dragging him toward the door. "Come on, I can't do this all on my own, you're heavy!" she huffed.

Kristoff threw Elsa a pleading look. "Majesty have mercy," he begged.

Anna scoffed. "Oh stop being such a drama queen! She can't save you now! Your princess commands you to follow her to – the – docks," Anna called, pulling with all her might.

Elsa could only laugh as she shrugged her shoulders at the poor man who was now being shoved from behind. "I'm sorry Kristoff this is a matter for the Right Hand of the Queen."

"Hah! You hear that, you see the pin? It means you have to do what I say, now move it!"

Soon after naming Anna as her right hand Elsa had presented the girl with the traditional pendent that would let everyone know her station. It was a smooth white gold in the shape of two hands cradling the crocus of Arendelle. The day Elsa had gaven it to her the princess had run around the castle proudly showing it off to anyone foolish enough to cross her path.

Kristoff just grinned as he let himself be wrestled out of the barn, but not before hollering, "She's drunk with power! Quick, arrest me!" over his shoulder.

Still laughing as she watched Anna drag a blindfolded Kristoff behind her, Elsa reluctantly made her way back towards the castle and the headache that awaited her there.

XXX

Upon reaching the palace steps Kai rushed out to greet her. "Welcome back Miss Elsa, I do hope you and princess Anna enjoyed yourselves," he said falling into step beside her, extending an arm.

Elsa gratefully accepted the gesture and the comfort it offered. "Thank you Kai, we enjoyed ourselves very much." Elsa smiled as she thought of little Maika and all the other children that had swarmed the sisters, sitting in laps and clutching at skirts as the queen conjured new toys for each of them; curious parents looking on from a distance. "Is everything prepared for this evening?" she asked.

"The refreshments arrived shortly after you and the princess left this morning and the decorations are nearly complete. The grand ballroom looks magnificent; Gerda has outdone herself this time. You can be sure she won't soon let anyone forget it," he added chuckling lightly to himself.

The queen smiled along with him for a time, but grew somber once again as she remembered the reason she was there in the first place. "Are they ready?" Elsa asked as she felt her stomach twist in knots.

"Waiting for you in the receiving hall," the manservant said giving her hand a light pat. He always had a knack for sensing when the queen was nervous.

"I assume the Duke has come to collect them then?"

Kai sniffed at the mention of the vile little man. "I did not grant him access to the castle, his men will be escorted to him just outside the main gates. All three will then be discretely led back to their vessels, as per your request Majesty."

"And Hans?" she asked reluctantly. She just wanted to be done with the prince, so that they could put this whole mess behind them.

"The Lord visiting from France has graciously volunteered to escort that… that… beast back to the Southern Isles. The Lord will be ready to depart within the hour, until that time he will be left in his cell," he replied through clenched teeth. The thought of almost loosing the two young women he had watched grow up because of that monster ignited an anger Kai had never felt before.

Elsa couldn't help but grin at the servant's tone. Although he had not come right out and voiced his displeasure at his queen's decision to withhold execution, Elsa could tell he was less than pleased.

As the pair entered the recieving hall they were met with a flurry of activity. The staff were bustling about, removing every speck of dust from the furniture and hanging any last minute decorations. At its center stood a few of the men that made up her small council, the captain of the royal guard, and the two assassins from the mountain, each flanked by four guards. It took every shred of Elsa's self-control not to ice the two men where they stood as painful memories flooded her mind.

"Good afternoon gentlemen," Elsa called politely, swallowing her anger. "I do hope I haven't kept you waiting. I would like to get this resolved as quickly as possible so that I may return to my sister's celebration." Elsa then turned to the man as her side, "Kai, you have the document of severance I presume?"

The man nodded and pulled a large scroll from his jacket. "Right here your Majesty."

"Thank you," the queen turned to the large, grey-haired man standing to her right, who immediately snapped to attention. "Captain, you will have these men escorted back to their ship along with their master. I want him, and all other traces of Weselton out of my kingdom within the hour. As for Prince Hans, someone has very graciously offered to accompany the Prince home and see that he is left in the proper hands." Her advisors nodded their approval. "Now, I would like to once more confirm that this is truly how we wish to proceed with the Du-"

"Your Majesty, I beg your pardon- " interrupted the guard captain, causing Elsa to raise her eyebrow in surprise. This man was already on very thin ice with her as it was – no pun intended – and he was not doing himself any favors by speaking out of turn. "-but why are we allowing these men to simply walk free? They attempted murder, shouldn't they be receiving some form of punishment?"

Kai scowled while every other head in the room turned to stare questioningly at their queen, only to find her lips pulled tight and eyes hard. However, her expression was once again schooled into the icy calmness her advisors had come to learn was a sure sign their monarch was not happy.

"Kai, would you please fetch the French Lord and escort these men back to their ship,"

she commanded without looking away from the captain. "The rest of you are dismissed, the captain and I have some… issues we need to discuss."

The manservant nodded before gesturing to the guards surrounding the men of Weselton and leading them outside. The rest bowed before hurrying away, they had heard that tone before.

It wasn't until they were completely alone that Elsa spoke. "I appreciate your concern captain, and I am glad to hear that you think it important that those who have wronged me be punished accordingly," she said giving him a sharp look that caused the man to pale. "However, I would remind you that as the queen it is my responsibility to decide the fate of those men, not yours. Do not make the mistake of thinking that I have taken their actions lightly," she said, voice rising in volume. "For it was I who was hunted down, it was I who defended myself as they attempted to bury a bolt in my chest, and it was I who was then caged in my own home like an animal simply because I has the audacity to be myself."

The man cowed under her cold gaze and inwardly winced at the accusation. "I have given you the benefit of the doubt captain because my father both trusted and respected you a great deal. But frankly I have yet to see the man he spoke so highly of, seeing as it did not take much for a foreign prince to make you forget your oath."

The man lowered his gaze; shame a crushing weight on his shoulders. The truth was, he had let his fears get the best of him. The man had seen death, watched good men get cut down while still in their youth, and seen things that would make even the bravest of men cringe, and yet in this he had faltered. He had allowed Hans to treat the woman he had sworn to protect, his queen, like a criminal. It was a decision that he would regret until the end of his days.

"I- I have no excuses Majesty. I beg your forgiveness," he said taking to one knee and bowing his head. "I have disgraced my position as your protector, it will not happen again."

The queen looked down her nose at the man for a time, not fully convinced of his remorse. "We shall see," she said before turning away.

XXX

"Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on!" Anna giggled as she dragged a blindfolded Kristoff behind her.

"Ok here I come," Kristoff called as he stumbled blindly about, occasionally knocking into the unsuspecting people crowding the – wherever he was. He knew they had to near water as the man could hear sailors shouting orders to each other and smell the salt in the air. His musings came to an abrupt halt however when something cold and solid smashed into his face. "OWW! Poll," he laughed.

"Whoops sorry," Anna said timidly, running back to retrieve him.

Just as he thought his arm might fall off with the force of her tugging, they finally stopped.

"Ok, ok, here we are," Anna squealed. When she received no reaction she looked up. "Oh!" The princess had forgotten to remove the rag that covered Kristoff's eyes. As she yanked the cloth from his face the mountain man's jaw dropped.

"I owe you a sled."

Sitting across the wharf was the most beautiful sled Kristoff had ever seen in his life. Sven strutted about next to it wearing a matching harness, modeling the gift. It was clearly handcrafted and polished to a shine, a sled he could only dream of owning.

"Are you serious?" Kristoff gasped, not even daring to blink just in case it was all a fantastical hallucination.

"Yes! And it's the latest model," the princess announced proudly, eyes darting between the man and his new sleigh.

"No, I can't accept this," Kristoff replied, still unable to tear his gaze from those flawless rudders.

"You have to! No returns, no exchanges, Queen's orders. She's named you the official Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer, which means you will need a proper mode of transportation," Anna said jabbing a long finger into his broad chest and crossing her arms firmly.

"What? That's not a thing," the man said giving the redhead an amused look. However, he still made a note to ask Elsa about this Ice Master deal later on, just in case it actually was a thing.

"Oh sure it is," she said waving him away. "And it even has a cup holder… do you like it?" she said, nervously wringing her hands together.

Kristoff smiled down at her. "Like it? I love it!" he exclaimed grabbing the girl by the waist and twirling her in the air. "I could kiss you!" His eyes bulged at the slip. "I could- I mean I'd like to. I- may I? We me? I mean, may we? Wait what?

Anna grinned affectionately at his fidgeting. "We may," she said softly, stepping closer.

XXX

Elsa stood just inside the main entryway of the castle, peeking through the small gap between the large doors at she watched the growing crowd of people that filled the courtyard. Her stomach felt as though it had climbed into her throat as she pulled and twisted the fabric encasing her fingers. The queen attempted to think about anything other than the choking fear that made her sick to her stomach, but it was just so hard. Anna had tried to convince her otherwise but Elsa couldn't rid herself of the nagging feeling that the only reason her people had accepted her was because they were petrified of what she would do if they didn't.

Elsa had been unable to admit it at the time but the Duke's jab about how readily Arendelle had accepted Hans hurt more than she let on. She couldn't shake the words, they clawed at her mind like barbed wire, digging in and refusing to let go. Those same words were what made it so hard for Elsa to believe her sister when she had said no one feared her… they had feared her then.

_What am I doing? Putting this- this… abnormality on display will only remind everyone how dangerous I am. God, and I'll be so exposed, I have already survived two assassination attempts I doubt I'll live through a third. I might as well tie myself to the stake for them and hand out the bloody matches while I'm at it. Why did I let Anna talk me into this!_

Elsa had begun raking her shaking fingers through her hair, effectively ruining her tight bun, as she frantically paced back forth. The queen became even more agitated when it started snowing lightly around her and frost bloomed beneath her heels. Her fear was slowly replaced with anger as she watched the snow and ice reflect her inner turmoil. Hissing in frustration Elsa whirled around, blasting a nearby suit of armor with a burst of arctic winds and knocking it to the ground with a loud crash. All she could do was glare at her mess, chest heaving and hands balled into tight fists. In her fit of rage Elsa hadn't heard Anna slip inside the castle, softly closing the doors behind her.

"Elsa?"

The queen jumped and spun around so fast Anna feared she might fall over, eyes wide with panic. Seeing who it was, Elsa sighed in relief.

"Elsa I am so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, honest," Anna said, raising her hands apologetically. "I just came in to see if you were ready when I heard a crash. Are you ok?" she asked, noting how tightly the blonde clutched her hands to her chest and the pile of armor behind her, covered in ice.

Tears suddenly filled Elsa's eyes as she shook her head slowly, looking away.

"What's wrong?" Anna said taking a step forward.

"I… I don't think I can do this," she whispered.

The princess tilted her head in confusion. "You mean the demonstration? Why not?" she pried gently.

"Because Anna, they don't see me the way you do. All they will see is a witch who freezes everything, someone who can't be trusted. You've read all the fairytales, what happens to witches?" she asked bitterly.

"But Elsa, you're not a wi-"

"What happens to witches?" Elsa repeated, a little harshly.

Anna sighed. She had no idea where this was coming from; Elsa had been fine a few hours ago. "They die…" she replied, defeated.

"Exactly."

"Elsa what is the matter with you?" Anna asked suddenly. "Were you not just a few hours ago performing your magic for children, while their parent's watched no less. Do you think people would trust you with their kids if they thought you were even remotely dangerous?" Elsa didn't answer. "Well!?"

"No," Elsa mumbled.

"Do you think people would go out of their way to come to the castle just to ask you something if they were scared?"

"No."

"And do you really think so little of me that you believe I would let you go out among all those people if I, even for a second, thought they might hurt you."

Elsa looked up at her abruptly, guilt shining in her cerulean eyes. "No, of course not."

"Exactly," Anna mirrored. Her expression softened and took another step forward. "Like you said, I can't lose you again." Finally closing the distance between them, Anna pulled her older sister against her small body. In response Elsa buried her face into the girl's shoulder, finally allowing the tears to fall.

"I just want to be normal," she whispered as her sister held her close, stroking Elsa's hair.

"Why?"

The question caught Elsa off guard. She looked up in confusion to find Anna staring at her as if she had two heads. "What do you mean why?"

"Being 'normal' is overrated Elsa. No one ever remembers the people who were just like everyone else. Elsa you are special; you are one of the lucky ones who simply can't be forgotten, but it is up to you to decide how you will be remembered. You can be the magical Queen who was an amazing ruler of Arendelle, or you can be the Ice Queen who spent her reign behind a closed door like a scared child."

Elsa blinked owlishly at her sister; she had never seen things that way. For a large portion of her life Elsa wished she hadn't been born this way; to be like other people. And just when the blonde thought she had finally cleared that hurdle and accepted herself the way she was, all at once the insecurities had come crashing back. Lucky for her, she had Anna with her; keeping her grounded and reminding Elsa that being different didn't have to be a bad thing.

"How do you always know exactly what to say?" Elsa murmured into the girl's copper strands, pulling her in for another long hug.

"It's a gift. You have your powers, I have mine," Anna said, giving the older girl a gentle squeeze.

Elsa chuckled, stepping back and smiling at the redhead affectionately. "What would I ever do without you?" she said tucking a stray strand of hair behind her sister's ear.

Anna shrugged. "You would probably be very bored," she replied grinning.

"Indeed I would be," Elsa laughed. Something warm and bright erupted in Elsa's chest, filling her body so full she though she might burst if she didn't find a way to release it. "I love you Anna, so very much."

XXX

Elsa stood in the middle of the castle courtyard looking around nervously at the crowd. Pushing her insecurities to the back of her mind the young queen did her best to quell the unease coiling in her chest like an angry viper. Elsa was comforted when she didn't find any unfriendly faces among her people, in fact most looked on in eager anticipation. But there was only one face Elsa was interested at the moment.

Anna stood a little ways off along with Kristoff, Sven and Olaf, her eyes locked on her sister. The girl could see that Elsa was still very tense, so she had made a point to always stay within the blonde's line of sight giving her reassuring looks and warm smiles all the while.

"Good afternoon," Elsa began, relieved that she was able to keep her voice from shaking. "I would first like to say I hope you have all enjoyed the celebration thus far. As you know, I have invited you here today so that you may all have better idea of what my magic can do, to see it up close. I hope you all brought your skates," she said grinning, as the people around her nodded. Satisfied, Elsa turned around to give her sister a questioning look: now? Anna gave her a thumbs-up.

Elsa took a deep breath as she willed her magic to pool in the soles of her feet. "Are you ready?" she called. The crowd cheered in response. Hiking her skirt up a little, Elsa stomped one of her slippers to the ground. Everyone watched as frost blossomed where the ball her foot had struck the ground and rippled outward to form a thin layer of ice that coated cobblestone beneath them. When the Elsa's ice reached the columns surrounding the courtyard it quickly spiraled up to create magnificent archways that split and reached out like the branches of a frozen tree.

The blonde heard the townsfolk gasp in awe when she pushed her magic into the two fountains that flanked her. The water froze instantly, each droplet suspended in mid air as the ice twisted and curled to form twin sculptures that rose ten feet into the air. But she wasn't quite finished yet. Gathering it in her palms, Elsa tossed her magic into the sky where it burst into thousands of tiny shimmering snowflakes that rained down on the many heads below.

Elsa thought she might weep with joy as her people laughed and cheered around her. Everyone smiled broadly as they watched their wondrous queen show them just how beautiful her gift could be. No one looked at her with disgust, no one grabbed any concealed weapons in order to purge the land of her unholy power, and not a single syllable of witch was uttered. The black fog that had settled around her shoulders like some sinister cloak lifted, and for the first time since her return, Elsa could breath.

The tearful woman turned to find Anna sliding wobbly towards her. When she began to fall Elsa reached out to catch her, gripping the girl's elbows tightly and grinning down at her fondly.

Clinging to her sister Anna looked up with tears in her eyes. Not long ago Elsa had been practically cowering away in the castle at the thought of being rejected by the kingdom. She had looked so small and broken then, but now she looked… peaceful, whole. "I like the open gates," she said giving Elsa's arms a gentle squeeze.

The woman felt her chest grow tight with emotion. As she gazed down on the one person who had stayed by her side no matter how cruel she had acted, had kept her holding on even in her darkest times, and had saved her in more ways than one, Elsa felt something shift into place. She was home. "We are never closing them again," Elsa said, eyes reflecting the love that shone within the teal ones of her sister.

Glancing downward Elsa noticed something was off about the redhead.

Anna's happy expression turned that of confusion when she noticed the queen studying her. She opened her mouth to ask but before she could make a sound Elsa directed some of her magic towards Anna's boots. The princess felt the ground become even more unsteady as blades of ice sprung from the soles of her feet and snowflakes decorated her once plain boots into pair of lovely white ice skates. "Oh Elsa they're beautiful but you know I don't- " Elsa grabbed her hands as she began to glide backwards, dragging a fumbling Anna behind her and smirking all the while. "Skaaate!"

"Come on, you can do it!" Elsa laughed, keeping a firm grip on the girl as she led her around the courtyard.

"Easy for you to say, it's your ice," Anna grumbled, screwing her face and sticking out her tongue – which only made Elsa laugh harder - as she fought to keep her feet beneath her. "Ok I got it, I got it," Anna shouted as she found her balance and even let go of one of Elsa's hands. Her triumph was short lived however when a shout of "Look out reindeer coming through!" from a certain ice harvester that she may, or may not have been kissing a little while ago broke her concentration. "I don't got it, I don't got it," she yelped clutching at her giggling sister.

"Hey guys!" Called a familiar voice as something cold and wet nudged Anna from behind, pushing her back to her feet.

"Thanks Olaf," Elsa said as the little snowman helped her steady the girl.

All around them the ice glittered and shone brilliantly, reflecting the unequivocal joy that radiated from its creator. Elsa sighed contentedly as she listened to her ice sing its pleasure in a melody meant just for her.

The pair skated throughout the courtyard, hand in hand and giggling madly as Anna struggled to stay vertical among the people of Arendelle. The queen and princess locked eyes for a moment both lost in the disbelief that after so many years of pain and loneliness things were finally beginning to fall into place. The transition back to normal everyday life had undoubtedly been difficult, for both of them. But with Anna truly back in her life Elsa knew that they would be able to get through it together, moving forward as sisters, moving onward.

END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes
> 
> Thank you everyone for taking this incredible journey with me you have all been so wonderful and supportive. Every review meant the world to me and I really hope you enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Again please feel free to leave me some prompt for any Frozen Onward one-shots :D I am also in the process of beginning a multi chapter harry potter x frozen crossover fic if anyone is interested. Thanks again and happy reading
> 
> \- N.J.B.


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